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Kobbie Mainoo faces an uncertain future at Manchester United, having fallen out of favour with Ruben Amorim
Ruben Amorim has revealed that he's willing to speak to Kobbie Mainoo about his future at Manchester United ahead of the January transfer window. The 20-year-old midfielder, who has been linked with a move to Chelsea in the past, could leave Old Trafford next month in search of more game time.
Mainoo has fallen out of favour, with his only start this season coming in the second round of the Carabao Cup. The England international has featured 10 times in the Premier League, but he's played no more than 200 minutes.
Amorim has previously described Mainoo as 'a starter like the other players'; yet he currently finds himself below the likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in the pecking order. Ahead of United's clash against Bournemouth on Monday night, the Portuguese boss was asked if he would let the midfielder leave on loan.
"First of all, I say the same thing: the team comes first," said Amorim. "If Kobbie comes to me and talks to me, I will talk to him. I’m not going to say what I’m going to say to Kobbie, but I will be really pleased if Kobbie is coming to talk to me about that.
"I just want my players happy, and I understand that every individual has their goals. The frustration doesn’t help anybody but, again, the focus is in this game, and we will see if that happens."
Amorim has been heavily scrutinised by the likes of Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt, and Rio Ferdinand for his handling of Mainoo. On the criticism from the club legends and pundits, the United boss said: "I think it’s normal.
“I think it’s a fact that me as a manager of Manchester United, I think we are underachieving. We should have more points, especially this season, so I take that naturally.
"Sometimes they don’t have all the information and they see Manchester United with the standards that they lived here, always winning, so it’s hard for them to see their club in this situation.
"About Kobbie, I can speak about Kobbie at every press conference. Sometimes it’s harder for me to speak after the game, so it’s always the same situation for me. All of them are the same!"
As it stands, it remains to be seen whether or not Mainoo will leave Old Trafford next month. At the start of the year, football.london understood Chelsea were long admirers of the Englishman.
Multiple sources told football.london that Mainoo was someone the Blues were keeping an eye on, with his contract set to expire in June 2027. It's understood there was no contact between Chelsea officials and the player, or United, about a potential move.
It's said that the Red Devils were under pressure to comply with the Premier League's spending rules at the time, so academy graduates, like Mainoo, were put in the shop window. United eventually weathered the storm, cashing in on Alejandro Garnacho and Antony at the end of the season.
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