West Ham have emerged as contenders to sign Man United sensation Kobbie Mainoo as we slowly approach the January transfer window.
The 10-cap England international, who once burst on to the scene in impressive fashion at Old Trafford, has been starved of impactful minutes under Ruben Amorim.
Mainoo Fernandes
With his contract still expiring in under two years, speculation understandably remains rife over his long-term future.
Mainoo was heavily linked with a summer window exit from United, with Chelsea previously named as one suitor to take the Stockport-born youngster off Amorim's hands.
West Ham's results in the Premier League so far
Sunderland 3-0 West Ham
West Ham 1-5 Chelsea
Nottingham Forest 0-3 West Ham
West Ham 0-3 Tottenham
West Ham 1-2 Crystal Palace
Everton 1-1 West Ham
Arsenal 2-0 West Ham
West Ham 0-2 Brentford
Leeds 2-1 West Ham
West Ham 3-1 Newcastle
The west Londoners were even quoted a £70 million asking price when they enquired back in January, according to The Athletic, but the price for a permanent deal dropped to as low as £45 million at the end of last summer.
Since United made the decision not to part company before deadline day on September 1, Mainoo is yet to start a single Premier League game, and it is believed he's been clamoring for an exit.
According to Sky Sports news in August, Mainoo asked United to green-light a loan move away to gain valuable minutes elsewhere, but Amorim was adamant that he needs the academy graduate and urged him to fight for more game time.
"I want Kobbie to stay, and he needs to fight for his place. We need Kobbie. That is not going to change," Amorim said.
"The players not playing with be disappointed but everyone will have opportunities. You have to fight in the week."
Fast-forward to now, and the only start Mainoo has under his belt this season came during United's dismal loss to Grimsby Town on penalties in the Carabao Cup.
The midfielder is far from satisfied, with reliable journalist Fabrizio Romano reporting that West Ham are proposing a way out for Mainoo.
West Ham's offer to Kobbie Mainoo with Man United star in 'advanced talks' to leave
Speaking on the Here We Go podcast this week, Romano said that West Ham are "offering guaranteed minutes" to Mainoo in a bid to tempt him down south, but they're not alone.
Mainoo
Indeed, Serie A champions Napoli are also battling for his signature as Mainoo still aims to leave on a temporary deal.
“Kobbie Mainoo wanted to go on loan late in the summer transfer window, but Manchester United and Ruben Amorim decided against it at the time. Mainoo is still not playing regularly, so he remains open to a six-month loan move in January, returning to United in the summer," said Romano.
“The final decision will depend on Manchester United’s plans – whether they bring in another midfielder, and on Amorim’s preference to maintain his current squad. There is interest from West Ham, offering guaranteed minutes, and from Napoli, who are looking for midfield cover after Kevin De Bruyne’s injury.”
On the Napoli front, there is a pretty immediate danger to West Ham's chances of signing Mainoo, with Antonio Conte's side believed to be in 'advanced talks', according to another media source.
“He’s more likely to go to Italy — they’re in advanced talks," a transfer insider told Claret & Hugh.
"There’s interest from West Ham, though, but it’s still two months away and nobody has decided yet.”
West Ham are not completely out of the running yet, it would seem, and he'd certainly add a whole new dimension to Nuno Espírito Santo's midfield.
It wasn't too long ago when United legend Paul Scholes claimed that Mainoo was "10 times" the player he was at 19, and the youngster's breakout 2023/2024 campaign briefly sparked suggestions that he could be England's next big star.
Mainoo's match-winning display against Man City in the 2024 FA Cup final was followed by a sublime Euros with England, where he registered an historic 96% passing accuracy at one stage and became the fifth-youngest player to ever feature in a major international final — behind Lamine Yamal, Pele, Giuseppe Bergomi and Renato Sanches.
Mainoo is a gem waiting to be plucked away from United's bench, and his enthusiasm for minutes could seriously benefit West Ham as he yearns to showcase his true ability.