Mail Sport can exclusively reveal that Manchester United are hoping to have Andre Onana in goal for the match against Tottenham at Old Trafford on January 14 – even as Cameroon start their Africa Cup of Nations campaign just 24 hours later.
Premier League clubs were required to release their players for AFCON duty on January 1, but Onana will be available for the FA Cup third round in Wigan on Monday.
However, Confidential can reveal that United want to keep him for longer and are in talks with Cameroon about Onana playing a week in Sunday's match against Spurs, which starts at 4.30pm.
The 27-year-old would then have to make a seven-hour flight to Ivory Coast, where Cameroon will meet Guinea in their Group C opener on Monday 15 at 5pm.
Cameroon's last group match against Gambia is on January 23. If Rigobert Song's side are eliminated, Onana could potentially be back for the fourth round of the FA Cup – assuming United beat Wigan – meaning he would not have missed any games at all.
Man United hope to have Andre Onana (left) available until they play Tottenham on January 14
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If Cameroon go all the way to the final on February 11, United's £47.2m summer signing could be absent as many as four games.
Although Onana is concerned about losing his place at United to No. 2 Altay Bayindir, he had no choice but to heed his country's call under FIFA rules.
Despite retiring in September, it is still believed there are problems with Cameroon Football Federation president Samuel Eto'o, dating back to Onana's expulsion from his country's World Cup camp in November 2022.
He has been called up for the AFCON campaign in Cameroon and had to leave from Monday
Moyes has doubts about calendar boy Sancho
Jadon Sancho is an unlikely choice for United's new official 2024 calendar, although it will come as no surprise to see him make an early appearance on the calendar in January.
United are desperate to offload Sancho this transfer window after a row with manager Erik ten Hag, who has left Carrington's £73m training mavericks alone for the past four months.
United sources say 'several clubs' are monitoring Sancho's situation, and that would include West Ham. However, it is understood that David Moyes is reluctant to sign the 23-year-old on loan until the end of the season, and the player's £250,000-a-week wages would also be a stumbling block.
Sancho has been linked with his former club Borussia Dortmund and Juventus. Al-Ettifaq made an unsuccessful loan bid on deadline day in the summer, but Saudi clubs are expected to be less active in the January window.
It appears Sancho's only hope of staying at United is if the club sacks Ten Hag after a poor start to the season and Sir Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos team take over football operations.
Meanwhile, Raphael Varane will be on the calendar in May, although he could also leave this month or in the summer after United decided against a 12-month extension to his contract.
West Ham are among the suitors for Jadon Sancho, but Hammers boss David Moyes has his doubts
The outcast was banned by Erik ten Hag in September from training with the youth teams
Hannibal loan temporarily suspended
Although United would have liked Sancho to follow Donny van de Beek from Old Trafford on the first day of the January transfer window, the club are taking their time on other loan deals this month.
Confidential understands manager Erik ten Hag is keen to ensure other players are fit before further departures are sanctioned, with Van de Beek, Hannibal Mejbri and Dan Gore left on the bench in recent games.
Casemiro and Mason Mount are due to return this month after lengthy injury layoffs, but any loan moves for Mejbri are on hold for now despite the Tunisian midfielder withdrawing from AFCON to sort out his future.
Gore could also spend the second half of the season away from United, although sources have played down speculation about a link between him and Dortmund.
A loan at Championship club Preston North End is now unlikely to materialise, with Gore more likely to move to League One, where he is guaranteed more playing time.
Van de Beek hopes to revive his career at Eintracht Frankfurt, while Alvaro Fernandez's loan to Granada has gone so well since the summer that he is attracting interest from Benfica.
Any potential loan termination for Hannibal Mejbri (top) is currently on hold due to United's current injury problems
Donny van de Beek gets the chance to revive his career on loan at Eintracht Frankfurt
Earps is getting closer to Utd's exit
Mary Earps has new representation ahead of what could be a huge January transfer window. The United and England goalkeeper has joined A&V Sports after parting ways with Ignite Talent at the end of last year.
It's no secret that Earps was disappointed not to be able to move to Arsenal this summer, and with six months left on her United contract there is no sign of her having signed a new contract.
A&V Sports has partnered with some of the biggest names in women's football, including Sam Kerr and Ada Hegerberg. They also represent United's back-up goalkeeper Phallon Tullis-Joyce, who joined the club at the end of the summer transfer window.
Earps, who was crowned BBC Sports Personality of the Year last month, is now free to speak to clubs outside the Women's Super League and there is said to be strong interest from Paris Saint-Germain.
It is understood that Arsenal do not intend to make a new offer for Earps at this time, but could sign her on a free contract at the end of the season if she remains at United for the rest of the season.
Mary Earps seems destined to leave Man United Women this season or in the summer
Ticket row over the Wigan cup match
United have been embroiled in a ticket row with Wigan over the League One club's attempt to cash in on the visit of Erik ten Hag's side in the FA Cup third round next week.
Confidential understands that the club was surprised and frustrated by the Latics selling £180 hospitality packages to United supporters during the away match at the DW Stadium, with away tickets typically sold and distributed by the visiting team.
Officials raised concerns about safety and security at Wigan, who then issued an ultimatum to United that they would either sell the hospitality tickets themselves or have the 243 seats, which cost six times the value of normal tickets, removed from their allocation deleted.
Sources say United reluctantly agreed, but the hospitality – which includes a hot two-course buffet but only offers a paid bar – has not yet sold out with less than a week until the January 8 match. All proceeds from the sale will go to Wigan.
Bruno spreads Christmas cheer
United captain Bruno Fernandes handed out Christmas presents to the United staff on behalf of the players.
Sources were reluctant to say what the players' staff received, other than to say it was a “significant gift”, but added that it was a show of appreciation for the jobs they do for significantly lower salaries, which often involve unsociable hours must be worked and family time must be sacrificed. .
A nice gesture also from Nick Cox, the head of the club's academy, who wrote a letter to all fans who follow the club's youth teams and personally thanked them for their support in 2023.
'The interest that our fans have in youth development is one of the reasons that makes this club so special. It's what makes us different,” Cox wrote.
'Everyone in the academy recognizes your support, we know many of you attend as many matches as possible. It never goes unnoticed, especially when the games take place in remote locations or at inconvenient times, the impact of your support is immeasurable.”
Brother's pilgrimage to Old Trafford
The brother of United fan Christian Smith, who sadly passed away last month at the age of 46, is walking with his ashes from their hometown of Denbigh to Old Trafford to raise money for mental health charity MIND.
Neal Smith has set up a justgiving page ahead of the two-day walk on January 19 before laying Chistian to rest at St Asaph.
“He was the biggest Manchester United fan we had ever known and never missed a game on TV,” says Neal. 'Throughout his life, Chris struggled with mental health issues, which meant his dream of seeing a live match in person could never become a reality for him.
'I'll be raising money for MIND, who do fantastic work with people with mental health needs across the UK.'