Kobbie Mainoo is being starved of game time at Manchester United and it could lead to the Carrington graduate leaving.
In 11 Premier League games this season, Kobbie Mainoo has only played 138 minutes in midfield.
Ruben Amorim admits that Mainoo deserves more minutes, but the partnership of Bruno Fernandes and a revitalised Casemiro has been the Portuguese’s first choice.
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Mainoo is playing back-up to Fernandes in midfield, but United’s captain often plays the entire 90 minutes, meaning Mainoo’s opportunities have been limited.
As a result, Mainoo is open to a move away from United, whether that be on loan or permanently.
Kobbie Mainoo value will drop as saga continues
Over the summer, Mainoo halted contract talks after negotiations had begun over a new deal.
Without any guarantees over playing time, it seems likely that contract talks will remain off the cards.
Mainoo’s contract is valid until 2027, although United do have an option to extend by a further year.
The problem for Ineos is that Mainoo’s transfer value will only decrease as his contract ticks down. If he leaves on loan and runs his deal down further, suddenly the risk of him leaving as a free agent becomes a scary possibility.
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Reports suggest United currently value Mainoo at £45 million, so if Ineos allows this saga to rage on, then it could prove extremely costly from a financial point of view.
If Mainoo is going to be sold, that is a decision that needs to be made sooner rather than later.
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Mainoo wants to earn a spot in the England squad for the 2026 World Cup, which explains his desire to go out on loan.
Under Amorim, the 20-year-old is not getting enough game time to catch Thomas Tuchel’s attention.
Amorim has already made it clear that Mainoo is impressing at Carrington in training, so it is ultimately up to the United boss to figure out how to get him into the team.
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Whether that means pushing Fernandes further up the field so that Mainoo can play alongside Casemiro, or experiment with Mainoo alongside United’s captain.
If Mainoo is sold by United, it would feel like a failure on Amorim’s behalf.
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