Manchester United whizzkids Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have been warned they stand no chance of scooping the prestigious Kopa trophy despite their sterling displays at Old Trafford.
The two teenagers have played crucial roles for Erik ten Hag but former Arsenal midfielder Emmanuel Petit has dismissed their chances of being crowned the world's best young player for 2024.
Petit, who graced both Arsenal and Chelsea's midfields, lauded the pair for outperforming their more experienced team-mates at United.
He said: "Mainoo and Garnacho are two great young prospects. These are the players that have been putting in the best performances for Manchester United, outshining their senior colleagues.
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However, Petit is convinced the accolade will go elsewhere. "I like the players, but they have no chance of winning this trophy," he continued. "They can forget all about it. Lamine Yamal is the one. Oh my, what a player.
"He has had an amazing year, and he had an outstanding international tournament for Spain. I was blown away by his maturity at the competition. The way that he took responsibility, the way that he played, he was sensational.
"If Yamal is on the list, there can only be one winner. I'm sorry guys, but you have no chance."
Yet despite dismissing the duo's shot at the Kopa glory, Petit credited Ten Hag for his exceptional mentorship of United's emerging players.
"Ten Hag absolutely deserves credit for giving younger players an opportunity," highlighted Petit. "You cannot say that everything Ten Hag has done so far has been bad. Definitely not.
"Ten Hag is not the only one responsible for the situation at United. He has tried to do his best in a difficult environment at United.
"I think he should be very upset about the behaviour of some of his senior players and I think he has tried to add some discipline to the club. We've seen that in his management."
"It's a pity that the youngest players have to set the right example on the pitch. I want to see senior players taking some responsibility. We're talking about some players that have won absolutely everything in the game; huge, huge medals, and they're giving him nothing.
"Ten Hag has made mistakes, of course he has, but he's been let down by some very experienced players far too often."
