Mainoo is unhappy with his current lack of playing time and could ask to leave on loan in January. United are not expected to sanction his request, but could change their mind if they are confident they can sign a replacement.placeholder image
Mainoo is unhappy with his current lack of playing time and could ask to leave on loan in January. United are not expected to sanction his request, but could change their mind if they are confident they can sign a replacement. | Manchester United via Getty Images
Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has been linked with a move away in the January transfer window.
Mainoo initially requested a loan move away from Old Trafford to get more game time and give him a chance of getting into Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad; however, it is understood that United are keen to keep hold of him.
However, seeing as Amorim continues to prioritise the likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte over him, reports are saying that a January exit for Mainoo is more and more likely.
Chelsea ‘leading the race’ for Mainoo
The 20-year-old has made 10 Premier League appearances this season for United, but none of them have been starting, and so the rumours of a January exit are getting much louder.
Several teams have been linked to signing Mainoo in January, including Serie A champions Napoli, who want to pull off the same trick that they managed with Scott McTominay.
Premier League teams have been linked too, and recent reports have said that Chelsea are leading the race for Mainoo. 3AddedMinutes say that Mainoo’s future at Man United is ‘up in the air’ at the moment, and Chelsea are in line to try and sign him. The 20-year-old has an estimated market value of around £35m.
Man United could swap Mainoo for Lavia
If United were to sell Mainoo to rivals Chelsea, they would likely consider some form of swap deal to make sure they land a replacement for the 20-year-old. They could agree on a part-exchange deal with the Blues for Romeo Lavia, to help fill the depth void that they have in the holding midfield role.
Man United were linked with Lavia in the summer when they sold Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea, as a potential swap, but they opted against it. However, seeing as Lavia plays a similar role to Mainoo, a swap between the two midfielders would make a lot of sense.
Lavia is estimated to be worth around £26m, which means Chelsea would likely have to add some extra cash to sweeten the deal. However, it would mean that Man United would get a Premier League-calibre midfielder in return for Mainoo, and someone who also has a very high potential.
The Belgian midfielder is just 21 and has struggled to find a regular role in Chelsea’s midfield because the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are playing ahead of him. Lavia has made 30 appearances for the Blues since joining in 2023.
He’s injured at the moment, but expected to return in January, so he could be a beneficial asset for Ruben Amorim during the remainder of the season, and could even help the Man United boss get his side into the Champions League places.
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