Kobbie Mainoo's Man United future is currently a massive talking point ahead of the transfer window closing on Monday.
Gary Neville on The Overlap.
Gary Neville is desperate for Manchester United to keep Kobbie Mainoo.
(Image: The Overlap on YouTube.)
Gary Neville believes Kobbie Mainoo should be protected by Manchester United all costs in the final few days of the summer transfer window.
Ahead of the window closing on Monday evening, speculation concerning the midfielder's Old Trafford future is mounting after head coach Ruben Amorim left him on the bench for the Reds' opening two Premier League games of the season.
Mainoo, who burst onto the scene two years ago, made his first appearance of the season on Wednesday night, starting United's shock Carabao Cup penalty shootout defeat to Grimsby Town at Blundell Park.
United are desperate to recruit a midfielder ahead of the window closing and it is widely considered they want to source a player who can establish himself as a suitable partner for Bruno Fernandes in the engine room. Amorim admitted after last Sunday's 1-1 draw with Fulham that Mainoo is competing with Fernandes for the same role.
With so much uncertainty currently filling the air, Neville is adamant United cannot let go of the academy graduate, but he has suggested the departure of Marcus Rashford and anticipated exit of Alejandro Garnacho could convince Mainoo to push for an exit of his own.
"Kobbie Mainoo can't leave," said Neville, speaking on The Overlap. "They haven't got any midfielders. They can't let him go.
"If they're letting him go, they'll have to bring someone in. They can't let him go. They've got Casemiro, [Manuel] Ugarte and Fernandes.
"I don't think the manager is half-having him, I don't think he's having him.
"He'll be friends with Garnacho, I suspect, and he'll be friends with Marcus and I suspect he's looking at the WhatsApp with those two and he's thinking, 'I'm being left out here', and he might just be looking at it and thinking, 'I'm going to get out!'
"There would be a lot of takers for him."
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