- Premier League champions Man City have eight nominees for the top honour
- United is cutting costs under the leadership of Sir Jim Ratcliffe
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Manchester United asked rivals City if Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo could get a lift to the Ballon d’Or with their group of eight nominees, but were told the flight was full.
Mail Sport understands the Premier League champions have chartered a private jet to take their sizeable delegation to Paris for the awards ceremony on Monday evening.
And in a move that may raise eyebrows, it can be revealed that United asked their neighbors if they had room for their two hopefuls.
Unfortunately for the Old Trafford club, they were told there was no space on the flight and alternative arrangements had to be made.
United are in the midst of a series of cost-cutting measures following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS group at the club earlier this year.
Man United’s Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo will not fly to Paris on the City plane
The Premier League champions have eight nominees, including Erling Haaland (pictured on Wednesday) – and there is no room for their rivals
Clearly, the prospect of sending two players on a private jet was not considered a good prospect in the current climate.
In the men’s game, Ruben Dias, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland and Rodri are all in the race for City, while in the women’s race Yui Hasegawa, Lauren Hemp and Khadija Shaw are all in the running. In the hunt for the Kopa Trophy, for the best player under the age of 21, City’s Brazilian winger Savinho has been nominated, along with Garnacho and Mainoo.
Arsenal also have four candidates in the men’s section: Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka and William Saliba and one woman, Mariona Caldentey.