Kobbie Mainoo chooses new club as Manchester United open transfer talks | Football

Kobbie Mainoo has reportedly given the green light to a January move away from Manchester United after failing to win over Ruben Amorim.

United academy graduate Mainoo was open to a move away from Old Trafford last summer but Sir Jim Ratcliffe intervened and told him he was needed.

Mainoo enjoyed a breakthrough season under Erik ten Hag in 2023-24 which culminated in the teenage being included in Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.

Not just a member of the Three Lions’ travelling party in Germany, Mainoo featured in most of England’s games and started their final defeat to Spain at the age of just 19.

Mainoo was rightly viewed as one of the most exciting young players in the world at that stage but he endured a more frustrating campaign last season.

Regular game-time dried up after Amorim replaced Ten Hag last November, with the former Sporting manager claiming Mainoo was competing for the same spot in the team as his captain, Bruno Fernandes.

Mainoo has continued to be frozen out in the first-half of this season, only starting one game for Manchester United – an embarrassing Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town.

Napoli were one of the clubs to express interest in Mainoo last summer and the Serie A champions are ready to revive that interest ahead of the January transfer window.

Antonio Conte has been impressed by the impact of a number of ex-Premier League stars, including Mainoo’s former United teammates Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund.

Il Mattino claim Napoli have re-opened talks with Manchester United and are keen to finalise a deal for the start of the winter window.

That is likely to be a straight loan deal unless Napoli agree a loan-to-buy for a significant transfer fee.

Mainoo, for his part, is said to be ‘eager’ to make the move to Naples and knows he needs to revive his career that is stagnating under Amorim.

The Italian outlet say Mainoo has taken note of the success McTominay and Hojlund have enjoyed since swapping Manchester United for Napoli and believes he would be given a prominent role in Conte’s team.

While a place in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad looks out of reach, Mainoo will hope a productive second-half to the season will at least put him in contention.

Napoli are currently third in Serie A – two points behind leaders Roma – and 20th in the Champions League as they seek qualification to the knockout stages.

Conte has been forced to deal with a number of injury setbacks this season – Kevin de Bruyne is set for a lengthy spell in the treatment room after having surgery on his thigh – and is keen to bolster his squad in January.

Such is Napoli’s need for reinforcements, the club will reportedly move on to West Ham’s Soungoutou Magassa should a deal for Mainoo break down.

Manchester United fans gave Mainoo a warm welcome as he came on as a second-half substitute in Monday’s 1-0 defeat to Everton and would be disappointed to see a homegrown player leave.

Paul Scholes, one of the best midfielders in the club’s history, has described Mainoo’s drop-off as ‘one of the most disappointing things’ of the season.

‘Kobbie Mainoo came on the other night [against Everton], he needs games of football, it looks like he was a little bit off the pace of the night because he’s not played. You could expect that,’ Scholes told Sky Sports.

‘One of the most disappointing things for me is Kobbie Mainoo not being involved in this Manchester United team.

‘We saw how good he was 18 months, two years ago, and for some reason it’s not quite happened for him. The manager doesn’t seem to quite fancy him, but we all know the qualities he has.

‘But the manager’s just for some reason preferring somebody else, and that’s something he has to deal with. I think he’s dealt with it quite well at this minute, but at some point, he will get frustrated.

‘As I’m frustrated with watching Manchester United at times as well, and especially with Kobbie Mainoo, because home-grown talent, we don’t have many of them anymore, and we want him in our team.

‘He [Amorim] possibly doesn’t trust him physically at the minute. Casemiro isn’t the most physical, but he’s streetwise. He knows the position, he’s done it for so many years in a great Real Madrid team, so he’s got that experience.

‘Kobbie hasn’t quite got that experience yet. I think Kobbie, if he’s going to play, he needs to play in a midfield three, really. Manchester United don’t do that.

‘They’ve got a midfield two with two 10s. So, for him to get one of those positions is something he’s got to work his way into doing now. Maybe you need two Bruno Fernandes.

‘You need a Bruno Fernandes to be the playmaker, and one to be a No 10 as well. I think Kobbie Mainoo is more than capable of being that playmaker, next to a Casemiro or a [Manuel] Ugarte.

‘I think he’s clever enough in possession, but for some reason the manager doesn’t seem to think he’s the answer at the minute.’

Scholes’ former Manchester United teammate Nicky Butt, meanwhile, has described Amorim’s treatment of Mainoo as ‘scary’.

Before finalising his long-term plans, Mainoo will hope to get some first-team minutes for United, starting on Sunday when Amorim’s side visit Crystal Palace.

Manchester United are 10th going into this weekend’s round of Premier League games, three points outside the Champions League places.

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