Kobbie Mainoo has been linked with a stunning move to Newcastle United this week
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been linked with a move to Newcastle United
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been linked with a move to Newcastle United
(Image: Getty Images)
Paul Merson has claimed that Newcastle United transfer target Kobbie Mainoo has "got to be asking himself serious questions" regarding his lack of game time at Manchester United.
Mainoo, 20, is yet to start a single Premier League game for the Reds this season and was named on the bench for Sunday's thumping defeat at Manchester City. The England international, however, came on in the 62nd minute and impressed, recording 25 touches, a 100 per cent pass success rate and completing two key passes.
Some Man United fans have since called on Amorim to start Mainoo against Chelsea on Saturday, as the Reds look to record just their second win of the season. The Stockport-born starlet has played just 73 minutes of Premier League football this campaign, having remained as an unused substitute against Arsenal and Fulham.
Last month, Mainoo expressed his desire to leave Man United before the end of the summer window. But the Reds blocked his request, and he ended up remaining at Old Trafford beyond the transfer deadline.
But talkSPORT reported on Tuesday that Newcastle are monitoring Mainoo's situation ahead of a potential move. Eddie Howe is known to be an admirer and considering testing Man United's resolve in January.
With Mainoo enduring a difficult start to the season at Man United, Merson has since sent a message to the midfielder and believes that something must be going on that others aren't seeing.
Delivering his verdict on Mainoo, ex-Arsenal and Aston Villa midfielder Merson told Sky Sports: "If you're him and you're sitting there watching that and not playing, something is going on.
"I don't know what's happening in training, what is happening behind the scenes, but the kid has got to be asking himself serious questions and how he is not playing in that football team.
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"He came on the other day against Man City and I thought he did well, at least he had a go. But he needs to be playing for them from the start, but I don't know why.
"For me, it's quite worrying because the kid has got talent, he is a Man United lad, come through the ranks and he is not playing. He is the only one that can answer that."
Merson isn't the first pundit to question Mainoo's game time at Man United. Gary Lineker offered his verdict on the England man on Monday, claiming that his failure to get into Ruben Amorim's starting XI is concerning.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, Lineker said: "It really worries me the way Kobbie Mainoo has been kind of almost dismissed. He’s such an incredible young talent, local boy as well doing really well.
"I mean, I thought when he came on, he did really quite well. I don't get it. I don’t know whether there's something that we don't know about or something like that, but it's slightly baffling to me."