Manchester City turns down Manchester United's request to let their players travel with City for Ballon d'Or ceremony

Manchester United reached out to their rivals, Manchester City, to see if Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo could join their group of eight nominees for the Ballon d'Or. However, they were informed that the flight was already at full capacity.

According to Mail Sport, the Premier League champions have arranged a private jet to transport their larger delegation to the awards ceremony in Paris on Monday night.

United Seeks City's Support 

In an interesting development, it's been reported that United reached out to their neighbours to inquire about securing spots for their two hopeful players. Unfortunately, they were informed that there wasn't enough room on the flight, leading to the need for alternative arrangements to be made.

Manchester United is currently implementing a variety of cost-saving measures following the arrival of Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the INEOS group earlier this year.

In light of this, the decision was made to avoid the optics of sending two players on a private jet, as it may not align with the club's current financial strategy. Additionally, the club is taking proactive steps to be mindful of its carbon footprint. This is reflected in past practices where clubs have collaborated on flights for players returning from international duty, particularly from regions like South America.

In the men's category, Manchester City has several strong contenders including Ruben Dias, Phil Foden, Erling Haaland, and Rodri. For the women's category, Yui Hasegawa, Lauren Hemp, and Khadija Shaw are making their mark. Additionally, City’s promising Brazilian winger Savinho has been nominated for the Kopa Trophy, alongside Garnacho and Mainoo, recognizing the best player under 21.

On Arsenal's side, they are well represented with four talented nominees in the men's section: Martin Odegaard, Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, and William Saliba, along with Mariona Caldentey for the women's category. This showcases the depth of talent in both teams and their contributions to the game.

Despite travelling from Manchester to the French capital, it's clear that Man City's players will face disappointment. The prestigious award on Monday night is set to go to Real Madrid's Vinicius Jr, following another standout season in La Liga.

Recently, the 24-year-old displayed remarkable skill by scoring a second-half hat-trick against Borussia Dortmund during their Champions League match. This impressive performance contributed to an exciting 5-2 comeback victory for his team at the Bernabeu.