MAN UNITED CONFIDENTIAL: How Harry Maguire's new contract saved United millions, the truth about Alejandro Garnacho's future and why Rangers' Old Trafford allocation has been cut after 'worst night si

Harry Maguire's renaissance at Manchester United hasn’t only earned the England defender a contract extension, it is also likely to save the club a packet in the transfer market this summer.

Maguire was expected to leave Old Trafford as a free agent along with Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans in June, forcing United to make another big signing in central defence a year after forking out £59million to Lille for Leny Yoro.

But Maguire’s revival this season, particularly since Ruben Amorim took over as head coach and installed him at the heart of a back-three, persuaded United to extend his £190,000-a-week contract until 2026 and may also change their thinking on summer recruitment.

Confidential understands that the club will look at a younger centre-back with potential rather than pay big money for a ready-made replacement like Everton’s Jarrad Branthwaite who would have cost around £70million and £160,000-a-week in wages. That will enable United to re-direct their limited transfer funds to other areas of the team at a time when money is tight at Old Trafford.

Maguire, Matthijs de Ligt, Lisandro Martinez and Yoro are set to continue as United’s pool of centre-backs with Noussair Mazraoui and Luke Shaw – if he stays – both able to play in the back-three.

Maguire’s return to form and favour continued at the Emirates on Sunday when he was outstanding in United’s FA Cup win over Arsenal on penalties. The 31-year-old’s performance was even better considering he was ill last week and was sent home from training, missing Friday’s session.

Harry Maguire signing a new deal has saved Man United millions as they will now not need to spend big on a new centre back this summer

Maguire has enjoyed a renaissance and was outstanding in United's FA Cup penalty shootout win over Arsenal on Sunday

United were interested in splashing the cash on Everton's Jarrad Branthwaite but can now look to strengthen other areas of the team instead

Diego bumps into KDB

It wasn’t hard to find out what United’s new signing Diego Leon has been up to after flying in to sign a pre-contract as the club’s first Paraguayan player on Monday.

The 17-year-old left-back posted pictures of his visit on social media after completing the first stage of a £3.3m deal that could eventually be worth £7m to his club Cerro Porteno.

Leon, who won’t complete his move until July 1, had a tour of Old Trafford and Carrington where he was pictured in the canteen with two of United’s other South American players, Argentine duo Lisandro Martinez and Alejandro Garnacho, before posing for a snap with, er, Kevin De Bruyne.

Turns out he met the City star at the Manchester Institute of Health and Performance where Leon was undergoing part of his medical with the other part taking place at Carrington.

Rangers refused more tickets

Rangers have been given an allocation of 3,768 tickets for next week’s Europa League tie at Old Trafford after the Glasgow club’s request for more was refused.

United insist Rangers have been given what they are entitled to under UEFA regulations for the Battle of Britain clash that is bound to generate plenty of demand from home fans too. The Scottish club have also received 200 VIP tickets.

It’s only the second time Rangers have played in Manchester since the UEFA Cup final in 2008 which was marred by a riot later described by a judge as ‘the worst night of violence and destruction suffered by Manchester city centre since the Blitz’.

More than 100,000 Rangers fans descended on Manchester for the game against Zenit St Petersburg at the Etihad, and trouble started after a giant screen in Piccadilly Gardens failed. Fans caused widespread damage and clashed with police who made 42 arrests.

When United and Rangers met in the Champions League at Old Trafford in 2010, police warned ticketless fans not to travel.

Rangers' request to have more fans at Old Trafford next week has been rejected

Napoli no-go for Garnacho

Last week’s Confidential revealed how United would reluctantly consider big offers for Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho if it helps to comply with profit and sustainability rules.

The two homegrown stars were previously seen as untouchable, but such is the reality of PSR and United’s current financial position.

Chelsea are known to be monitoring Mainoo’s contract stalemate at United, particularly if it drags on into the summer, but reports of Napoli making a move for Garnacho in this transfer window seem a little wider of the mark.

United sources indicate that the speculation is agent-driven and the club are unlikely to entertain offers for Garnacho this month unless an exceptionally high bid comes in.

The futures of both Mainoo and Garnacho will be under discussion again in the summer when serious offers for both players are considered more likely.

United are not expected to entertain offers for Alejandro Garnacho this month

Fans facing rail misery

United fans are facing travel chaos for the rest of the season after Avanti train managers launched five months of strike action on Sunday.

Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union are walking out until May 25 – the final day of the Premier League campaign – in a dispute over rest day working.

The industrial action, coupled with engineering works, will cause severe disruption for United supporters travelling down from Manchester to London by train, with Avanti only running a skeleton service on the line between the two cities.

The company has told passengers to avoid travelling on Sundays, which is not an option for United fans as the club have at least three away games in London before the season ends.

There are unlikely to be any trains at all from London after United play Fulham at Craven Cottage on January 26. Ruben Amorim’s men then travel to Tottenham on February 16, with their clash against Chelsea on Sunday, May 18 due to be their last away match in the capital.

Ratcliffe completes cash injection

Much excitement on social media earlier after it was announced that Sir Jim Ratcliffe purchased £80m-worth of shares in United yesterday.

However, Confidential can confirm that this was merely the formal process of Ratcliffe investing the final tranche of the extra £245m promised as part of his minority takeover.

United’s parent company Red Football Ltd issued the new shares to absorb the new capital injected by Ratcliffe which has been earmarked for infrastructure projects such as the £50m redevelopment of the Carrington training ground rather than for transfers this month.

And while it strengthens the club’s financial position, it has no additional bearing on profit and sustainability rules because the £80m had already been factored into the calculations.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe has completed his cash injection as part of his minority takeover

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Altay goes from zero to hero

What a difference a year has made for Altay Bayindir.

On this day in 2024, Andre Onana was playing in goal against Tottenham at Old Trafford after Confidential revealed that United had reached an agreement with Cameroon to hold onto their goalkeeper for an extra two weeks before the Africa Cup of Nations.

Onana stayed in England to play in the FA Cup third round tie against Wigan and Premier League clash with Spurs before catching a private jet to Ivory Coast where Cameroon were kicking off their Afcon campaign 24 hours later.

It underlined how highly Onana was rated by manager Erik ten Hag, but it was hardly a vote of confidence in Bayindir.

The Turkey international made the only appearance of his first season at United in the fourth-round win at Newport County, having moved to the club from Fenerbahce in a £4.3m deal in the summer of 2023. It also turned out to be his last appearance of the season.

A year on, however, Bayindir is being hailed a hero and genuine rival for Onana’s No.1 spot following his match-winning display in the FA Cup third-round win at Arsenal on Sunday when he saved penalties in normal time and the shootout to send United through.

It was all the more impressive because the 26-year-old was strongly criticised on previous appearance in North London last month when United lost to Tottenham in the Carabao Cup quarter-finals.

Bayindir’s four appearances this season now include one in the FA Cup and three in the Carabao Cup under three different managers – Ten Hag, caretaker Ruud van Nistelrooy and Ruben Amorim.

He is guaranteed to be back in goal when United face Van Nistelrooy’s new club Leicester City in the fourth round of the FA Cup next month, but Amorim will feel more comfortable throwing him into Premier League or Europa League action before then if Onana has any problems.

There was a possibility that Bayindir could have left United in search of more first-team football this month, but that now seems unlikely to happen.

Altay Bayindir is now unlikely to leave United after his heroics against Arsenal

He will be kept around to provide competition for United No1 Andre Onana

Cold comfort for Utd’s neighbours

FA Cup third round weekend sparked a great deal of debate about how much the Premier League elite can do to help smaller clubs who have lost the opportunity of money-spinning replays as a result of recent rule changes.

United certainly did their bit for the neighbours during the cold snap, allowing Salford City and Altrincham to train at the Cliff last week. With both clubs unable to use their own facilities, the academy offered to help out.

What happened next was out of United’s control. Salford were huge underdogs away to Manchester City and the League Two club owned by Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and the Neville brothers were beaten 8-0 at the Etihad.

Altrincham’s game in the National League against Wealdstone was postponed but they were at least able to train ahead of tonight’s match at home to Maidenhead.

Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt watched on as Salford were thrashed 8-0 by Man City

Three Ethans on the move

Loan moves to push on their academy stars is high on the agenda at Carrington right now, and after securing a promising loan move to Doncaster Rovers for Ethan Ennis, it is now two more Ethans looking to sort out their futures.

Confidential understands that wide player Ethan Williams is heading out to League Two with a move expected to be finalised imminently. There had been interest from Leyton Orient and Stockport County in League One, but sources say United are pleased at what they feel is an ideal landing spot in the fourth tier for 19-year-old Williams to further his development.

That still leaves striker Ethan Wheatley, who has been a key piece of the puzzle for the U18s and U21s in recent seasons. Finding the right loan for Wheatley is taking longer as the club want to avoid issues they ran into last season where players were placed into loans where game-time turned out to be minimal.

There has been significant improvement in the past few months with defender Sonny Aljofree thriving at Accrington Stanley while goalkeeper Elyh Harrison, who has since been recalled, impressed at non-league Chester.

Wheatley is not short of suitors as clubs lower down the EFL seek a shot in the arm for goals in the run-in, but United are conscious of the teenager being used sparingly or not at all in the wrong environment.

Ethan Wheatley (pictured) is one of three Ethans set to be loaned out by United this month

McEvoy’s a rising star

This column has continued to shine a light on the next generation of stars on the conveyor belt at Carrington, so remember the name Jay McEvoy.

McEvoy, 16, was rewarded for his fine form by being propelled into training with the U21s last week. The Irish midfielder has won rave reviews for a while now and one parent of another player waxed lyrical in recent days about McEvoy’s potential in a very strong U16 group.

Technically McEvoy is sound and has shown a strong footballing IQ as a deep-lying playmaker. Along with rising stars such as JJ Gabriel, he is among those being challenged in higher age groups for training – and fast-tracked as a result. One to watch.

Youth Cup run continues

United are the most successful team in the history of the FA Youth Cup, and while a lot of work is going into finding loans for young players this month, do not think coaches are taking their eye off the ball ahead of a fourth-round clash at home to Preston North End on Friday night.

The match, again at Leigh Sports Village, comes after Gabriele Biancheri and Chido Obi-Martin ran roughshod over Coventry City in the previous round with a 5-0 win.

With the draw having already been made for the last-16, United have been handed another home draw, should they progress, against the winner of Chelsea versus Merstham.

While the first two rounds in this year’s tournament are taking place at Leigh Sports Village, Confidential understands that consideration is to be given into hosting the match at Old Trafford if United and Chelsea both progress.

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