Man Utd transfer news: United will only consider selling Kobbie Mainoo if exceptional offer comes in
A string of Premier League clubs are interested in Kobbie Mainoo, but only a handful could afford a permanent deal; Man Utd will only consider selling Mainoo in January if they receive an exceptional offer; Sky Sports News has been told Mainoo remains a key part of Ruben Amorim's plans
Thursday 18 December 2025 15:31, UK
Manchester United will only consider selling Kobbie Mainoo in January if they receive an exceptional offer.
The club do not want to sell, and are equally reluctant to see him leave on loan.
A string of Premier League clubs are interested in him, but only a handful could afford a permanent deal.
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Sky Sports News has been told the 20-year-old remains a key part of Ruben Amorim's plans, and there is a widespread desire for him to stay at Old Trafford with the belief that he will only improve with age.
What is impossible to predict, however, is how the player himself might react - and how that might impact the club's decision-making, if Mainoo remains on the fringes of the first team.
The academy graduate is yet to start a Premier League game this season, and his brother posed for photographs at Old Trafford on Monday night wearing a t-shirt which read "Free Kobbie Mainoo", which has since gone viral on social media.
There were loud cheers from the home support when the young midfielder came on against Bournemouth with half an hour to go.
Mainoo is clearly still very popular with United fans, and he is clearly frustrated by the lack of game time, struggling to adjust to a fall from grace since he was a regular under Erik ten Hag and a starter at the heart of the England midfield for last summer's European Championship final in Berlin.
Mainoo won the last of his 10 England caps in September 2024 and, ahead of next summer's World Cup, is yet to feature under new England head coach Thomas Tuchel.
Apart from playing the whole of the second half against Burnley back in August, he hasn't featured for more than half an hour in any Premier League for United game since. His only 90-minute outing came in the ill-fated defeat at Grimsby Town, which saw United dumped out of the Carabao Cup in the second round.
But Amorim has been very clear that he doesn't doubt Mainoo's talent - rather, the head coach says it is a straight choice right now between him and the United captain.
"We play with two midfielders," Amorim said. "We could change in the future but Kobbie Mainoo is playing in the same position as Bruno Fernandes and sometimes it's really hard to take Bruno Fernandes out of the team and that is the only reason."
When asked if he rates Mainoo highly, Amorim added: "Of course. Like everyone else."
It makes no financial sense for United's hierarchy to send Mainoo out on loan.
Because of his route through the United age-groups he is on a relatively modest wage compared to other players in the first team, and so there is little incentive to have his salary covered by another team.
Furthermore, if he were to go on loan next month, United would have to replace him to provide extra cover in their midfield for the remainder of the season. That is likely to mean a bigger bill to bring in a new player who would be less familiar than Mainoo with the United environment.
Keane urges Mainoo to fight for Man Utd spot
Meanwhile, Roy Keane has urged Mainoo to fight for his place at Manchester United.
Speaking on the Stick to Football podcast, former United captain Keane said: "Are you telling me he can't sit there for another six months?
"He might think the manager might be gone in the summer, one or two of the senior players might be gone.
"He's 20 years of age, what's wrong with sitting and learning your trade? And even if you're not getting a chance, we've all had to do it at different levels.
"Sometimes a manager is on your case and what you have to do is look at a manager and go 'I'll prove you wrong'.
"Every day is your challenge to prove to the manager and when that manager is picking the team I'm going to train like a beast and when you're writing that team [as a manager] you're going to go, 'he has to play'. He's got to get that in his mindset.
"And when he's got his idiot of a brother doing all that… we shouldn't even be giving his brother the time of day. Sometimes you're just surrounded by idiots, especially the families.
'Mainoo needs to bide his time at United'
"The life of a footballer is about trying to prove people wrong," Keane added when talking about Mainoo being in competition with Fernandes for a place in Amorim's starting XI.
"Bruno might get injured. There was a chat about Bruno leaving in the summer. Bruno might leave next summer, so you bide your time as a young player.
"I've no problem players going out on loan, it can work for everybody, but sometimes as a player, your biggest challenge is here at Man United and getting into that first-team.
"Even if the manager is saying 'you're not going to get in ahead of Bruno' [your mindset should be], 'I'm going to prove you wrong'."
