Manchester United are said to be extremely frustrated with allegations circulating online that Alejandro Garnacho or Amad Diallo could be responsible for leaking Manchester United's matchday lineup.
The club is determined to defend Garnacho and Diallo against the unfair investigation, and sources say they will not accept either player being wrongly accused without any evidence. Both players have emphatically denied any wrongdoing, and there are concerns that online fan accounts are simply using the United stars' names to boost their following.
Confidential has learned that Garnacho and Diallo are so angry about the allegations that they wanted to speak out publicly after last week's Europa League win over Viktoria Plzen in the Czech Republic, but were convinced this would only add fuel to the fire the run-up to the match. Manchester derby Sunday.
While United accept that leaks are inevitable in the digital age, especially at a club of their size, there is frustration that the line-up continues to appear regularly.
However, insiders point out that it is an issue that has plagued the club for some time, long before Garnacho and Diallo were part of the first-team squad.
When United played Fenerbahce in October, former Reds boss Jose Mourinho joked with reporters about how his team selections routinely found their way to the media before matches, while David Moyes spent a lot of time rooting out a mole in the camp.
United have failed to launch an official club investigation this time, but there is a feeling within Old Trafford that the leaks are coming from various sources around players and not from the players themselves. We hope that the publicity surrounding the issue will convince players and their employees to think twice before sharing news.
Commenting on the issue after Sunday's Manchester derby win, head coach Ruben Amorim said: 'I think it is impossible to solve these days because there are a lot of people at the club and the players are talking to agents.
“You can talk to friends, so it's hard to know. It's not a good thing, but let's move on and go to the next one and see if they find the next starting XI.'
Garnacho still untouchable?
Alejandro Garnacho has until now been seen as one of the untouchables at Manchester United, but a number of Europe's top clubs sense an opportunity that he could be available for the right price.
Confidential understands that the changing situation surrounding Garnacho has less to do with Ruben Amorim's decision to drop the Argentine winger from his squad for Sunday's Manchester derby, and more to do with market forces putting United under greater pressure than ever.
The club has been sailing close to the wind in terms of profit and sustainability rules after making losses of £300 million over the past three years, and will have to tread very carefully in the January transfer window.
By far the easiest way to generate maximum profit is to sell homegrown players, as United reluctantly did by letting Scott McTominay join Napoli for £25.7 million in the summer. This makes Garnacho, Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo the most important assets in Amorim's selection.
Much of the speculation raged over Rashford's future at Old Trafford, even more so after he was also ruled out for United's win at the Etihad on Sunday.
However, the fact that Rashford earns £315,000-a-week and has three-and-a-half years left on his contract is seen as a barrier to a move. It is unlikely that any club looking to acquire Rashford on current form will pay him anywhere near that amount, meaning United would have to offer the 27-year-old a significant reward to leave.
That would eat up the transfer fee and it is understood that, having valued Rashford at around £100m when he scored 30 goals in Erik ten Hag's first season, United would now expect less than half that price.
Garnacho, on the other hand, is yet to enter the upper-income bracket after signing a new contract worth less than £50,000-a-week last year. That's still a lot less than Rashford and other stars like Casemiro on £375,000, Bruno Fernandes on £230,000 and Harry Maguire on £190,000.
The 20-year-old would also demand a bigger transfer fee than Rashford, around £70 million, which would mean an even bigger profit for the club.
While Amorim was keen to give both players a clean slate after they were dropped from Sunday's squad, questions have also been asked about how Garnacho will fit in under the new head coach. While Amad Diallo has flourished at right wing-back and in a more advanced position on the right, Garnacho is not seen as a full-back and has struggled on the left side of United's attack under Amorim.
There is no indication at this stage that United would be willing to sell him, but agents now believe the door to a Garnacho deal may not be as firmly closed as it used to be.
That could alert clubs such as Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan, although Confidential understands that Real Madrid and Barcelona are unlikely to move for former youth product Atletico Madrid at this stage.
Mainoo is the other option, but it seems even less likely that United will let go of their latest academy poster boy, who is arguably a more natural fit for Amorim's 3-4-3 formation. In the absence of Rashford and Garnacho at the Etihad on Sunday, it was left to Mainoo to expand the range of academy players who have made up United's matchday squad, which stretches back more than 4,000 games to October 1937.
PSG cools down Rashford's bid
Paris Saint-Germain have dispelled interest in Marcus Rashford amid suggestions the faltering forward could make a move to Ligue 1 in January.
It is understood United would consider sanctioning a £40million deal for the homegrown talent dropped by Ruben Amorim for Sunday's 2-1 win over Manchester City in the derby.
That has led to increased scrutiny over Rashford's future at Old Trafford and PSG were linked with a high-profile move for the 27-year-old before he signed a five-year £315,000-a-week contract last year.
However, the French champions are no longer interested in a move and have told Confidential that speculation about a January swap deal that would see Randal Kolo Muani go the other way is wrong.
PSG is keen to keep the France international, who is under contract with the club until 2028, and will not accept an offer from United mid-season.
All eyes on Victor
United are keeping a close eye on the progress of Botafogo goalkeeper John Victor. The South American market is seen as a key market for United as they look to get the best value from talent around the world.
As Confidential recently revealed, United are assessing their goalkeeping options ahead of next month's window, in case number 2 Altay Bayindir leaves in search of more game time. While United would prefer to wait until the end of the season to replace Bayindir, it is not outside the realm of possibility that he could move in January.
Victor, 28, is also attracting interest from Tottenham and teams in Europe after impressing in the Copa Libertadores for Botafogo.
Ticket profits for fans
United appear to have secured a victory in their battle with Arsenal over ticket prices for the FA Cup third round at the Emirates next month.
Arsenal had planned to charge up to £90 for visiting fans for the match on January 12, but United confirmed on Tuesday that the maximum price in the away section will be £46.40.
It comes after significant lobbying from supporters' associations for both clubs, who had opposed the decision to put the match in Arsenal's top prize category.
United are still contesting the allocation with Arsenal, who have so far refused to give them the full 9,000 they are entitled to under FA Cup rules. United have escalated their matter to the FA, saying in a message to supporters: 'Rest assured that we are doing everything we can to secure our full allocation for this match.'
Foundation takes bonuses hit
The decision to give staff an M&S voucher instead of the usual £100 Christmas bonus has gone down better with some staff than others, but Confidential understands there has also been a knock-on effect for the Manchester United Foundation.
Last week this column revealed how cost-cutting by Sir Jim Ratcliffe had led to this change, with some staff unhappy with the £40 voucher, while others were surprised they were getting anything at all in light of the recent redundancy programme.
However, it has been pointed out that in previous years employees were able to donate their £100 bonus to the foundation, while those earning more than £60,000 a year had that bonus automatically forwarded to the foundation.
The foundation is an important community arm of United and following Sunday's dramatic Manchester derby win, many of those first-team stars attended a foundation event for schoolchildren at Old Trafford on Monday.
Alejandro Garnacho, who was dropped by Ruben Amorim at the Etihad Stadium, was among the stars in attendance. Casemiro, Lisandro Martinez and Victor Lindelof were others who attended the event.
Jack catches Amorim's attention
A word about 19-year-old midfielder Jack Moorhouse who caught the eye for Ruben Amorim at Carrington last weekend.
His two goals in a man-of-the-match performance against Southampton have been a talking point in academy circles ever since.
Moorhouse had missed a significant amount of time through injury, with insiders pointing to setbacks due to growing pains. But the young midfielder, who is one of the best midfield ball carriers in the entire academy, is looking at his best.
While the plan for his development at this stage does not include a loan move in January, hopes are growing that he could be elevated to first-team training on occasion before the season is out.
Amorim has shown a willingness to scrutinize academy players, as evidenced by the emergence of centre-back Godwill Kukonki. With Moorhouse a player going from strength to strength, there is growing belief that he is firmly in the mix to become the next man.
Youth Cup solved
For United fans not traveling to Tottenham but still looking for a football fix this week, they need look no further than the FA Youth Cup on Wednesday evening.
The prestigious youth football competition is in its third round when United host Coventry City at Leigh Sports Village, with kick-off at 7pm.
United is the most successful club in the competition with eleven successes, the most recent in 2022 with Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho in the team. Tickets cost £3 for adults and £1 for concessions.
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