Gareth Whalley: Man United appoint former Man City man to key position | OneFootball

Manchester United have reportedly made an addition to their ranks, hiring former Manchester City man Gareth Whalley to a key position.

Whalley’s appointment

The Daily Mail reports that United have hired Whalley, placing him in charge of loans.

Former United defender Jonny Evans vacated his role as head of loans and pathways in December last year, before he returned as a member of Michael Carrick’s backroom staff following the dismissal of Ruben Amorim.

Evans was appointed in June after calling time on his career at the end of the 2024/25 season.

United indicated that Evans’ duties and responsibilities would revolve around leading loan moves for the club’s youngsters and working with director of football Jason Wilcox to maximise player development and prepare them for first-team football.

Evans left his position to spend more time with his family.

Now, the Daily Mail reveals, “According to sources, we can exclusively reveal that Whalley, who had been the loan co-ordinator at City since 2011 until a recent exit from the club, was recruited by United earlier this season to look after their loans department.”

“Whalley was selected as the man to monitor United’s crop of loanees, helping out on a part-time basis. United sources have stressed that no decision has yet been made about his long-term future at the club.”

“Whalley is highly-rated having played a key role behind the scenes at City in overseeing player loans, an area where City have had much better success than United in the past decade. ”

It’s said that Whalley is a hands-on individual and has relieved Stephen Torpey of loans duties, allowing the academy chief to focus on other things.

During his playing days, Whalley turned out for the likes of Crewe Alexandra, Bradford City and Cardiff City.

The Daily Mail say that he enjoys a close relationship with Wilcox, cultivated from their time working together at City.

Big summer

Although the bulk of the conversation has centred on who United are bringing in, the question of who leaves is equally pressing, especially with regard to the club’s academy products and young talents.

A number of them will be returning from their loan spells and will need to be sent out again to continue their development.

There are others in the academy ranks who may also need to head out to further their progression. Whalley will certainly be a busy man in the coming weeks and months.

Meanwhile, Carrick and his players are next in action on Sunday when they go away to Brighton & Hove Albion.

Featured image Michael Regan via Getty Images

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