Kobbie Mainoo is minded to reject the offer of a new contract at Manchester United and seek a move abroad. The midfielder has two years on his deal but the club would be open to selling the England international, who is valued at about £70m, to help their finances.
The Stockport-born academy graduate, 20 in April, joined United aged six and made his debut as a 17-year-old in 2023. Mainoo, who has 10 England caps, has played 60 times for the first team and has been in protracted negotiations over a new deal but no agreement has been found. He has been discussed as a potential Chelsea target but moving to another Premier League club is not currently part of his thinking.
Mainoo earns about £20,000 a week and his representatives want to improve his wages to reflect his role in the team. United believe Mainoo could still agree to improved terms.
If he declines to extend his deal, income from selling Mainoo would be a welcome boost for United, who need to bring in money if they are to make signings. But losing a homegrown player while Ruben Amorim is trying to rebuild the side would be difficult for many fans to accept.
United would be eager to maximise Mainoo’s sale value because any fee would go down as profit after he came through the academy, and a player’s value almost always goes down in the final two years of a contract. There has been no direct contact with other clubs.
Mainoo was a regular under Amorim before a calf injury in February but the head coach concluded he could not use him in his usual midfield role. “He was struggling a lot defending, as a midfielder – now more as a No 10 you can feel he’s playing on the ball nearer the box and near the box is really good with his small connections,” Amorim said in late January. “We need time to work with players on what is their best position.”
Amorim has also praised Mainoo’s improvement, saying the 19-year-old was “really, really good” but “not the finished product” and has “so much potential to grow up even more”.
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Mainoo and his fellow academy graduate Alejandro Garnacho were available for sale in the winter transfer windowfor the right offer. United’s financial situation has been highlighted since Sir Jim Ratcliffe invested in the club. The minority owner has instigated a mass cost-cutting exercise, making 250 people redundant and planning a further 200 job losses.
Source: theguardian.com
