Stefan Borson
Tue 18 March 2025 21:00, UK
Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has been out of action for the past few weeks after missing several games through injury this season.
The England international broke into the first team at Old Trafford in 2023-24, but he’s been limited to just 19 starts in his 25 appearances in all competitions during this campaign.
The 19-year-old’s future is uncertain at the club following speculation surrounding his contract situation.
Football Insider revealed on 12 March Man United have not given up hope of keeping Mainoo despite a standoff over a new deal.
The midfielder’s current deal is set to run until June 2027, with the club holding an option to extend his contract by a further 12 months.
It has been widely reported Mainoo is ready to reject a new United contract and seek a move overseas.
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Former Man City financial adviser Stefan Borson exclusively told Football Insider Mainoo could face a “big issue” completing a move abroad due to the limited number of clubs who could afford a £40-50million fee to sign him.
A potential sale would mark pure profit for United after the teenager came through the academy at Old Trafford.
The Manchester giants sent a letter to fan groups in January warning them the club are at risk of breaking the profit and sustainability rules (PSR), with top-flight sides only permitted to make £105million of losses over a rolling three-year period.
Appearances (Starts) 25 (19)
Minutes Played 1655
Goals 1
Assists 1
Yellow Cards 6
Mainoo’s Man United stats in the 2024-25 campaign (all competitions)
Man United could land immediate profit from Kobbie Mainoo deal
Borson believes the potential sale of Mainoo is unlikely to be linked to United’s PSR situation.
He told Football Insider: “He’s a valuable player from a PSR perspective because it goes straight to the bottom line and it’s close to pure profit from a PSR perspective.
“But you’ve got to replace that player and it sounds like his wages at the moment are manageable.
“Clearly, if you buy a player, the chances are the wages will be higher and you will have a transfer fee to amortise over the lifetime of that contract, so it can be a false economy.
“Really what you end up doing is taking an immediate profit but then spreading the cost over the next five years, so I don’t think the Mainoo sale will be driven by PSR. I think they’ll have a look at whether the player is considered good enough.
“I think there’s a big issue as to where he’s going to go abroad. I don’t really see that. No league in the world can outpay what the Premier League would pay, so I think if he’s going to go, the likelihood is he stays in the Premier League somewhere.
“We know Chelsea have expressed interest. I would think if he does leave United, which I think he probably won’t, then he’ll stay in the Premier League. Otherwise, you’d really question who in European football has got the money to pay £40-50million for him.
“I can’t see it. You are talking about Bayern Munich and PSG. It’s hard to think of anybody else that would be interested and could actually do the deal.
“It’s not that teams wouldn’t be interested, but in terms of being able to do the deal, it feels like probably just those two teams.”
Kobbie Mainoo of England looks up during the Semi-Final - UEFA EURO 2024 match between Netherlands and England at BVB Stadion Dortmund on July 10, ...
Photo by Joris Verwijst/BSR Agency/Getty Images
Man United loanee Jadon Sancho certain to agree Chelsea deal
Football Insider revealed on 17 March Chelsea are certain to sign Jadon Sancho if they qualify for the Champions League this season.
The London giants have an obligation to buy the 24-year-old for £25million when his loan deal comes to an end this summer.
However, it has emerged Chelsea can pay United a fee to cancel the deal if they wish.
Enzo Maresca’s side believe a £25million outlay is a good deal for a player of Sancho’s quality, with the winger registering two goals and six assists in 28 appearances this season.
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