Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown seems convinced that Kobbie Mainoo will remain at Old Trafford this January despite a heavy barrage of transfer rumours.
Given the stagnation in contract talks between Mainoo and Man United due to the player’s wage demands, rumours have been swelling about whether or not the England international would be willing to remain at the club in the foreseeable future.
Chelsea were named as an interested party, as were Bayern Munich.
In fact, The Peoples Person relayed earlier today that Chelsea would be willing to pay as much as £70 million in order to sign Mainoo.
Still, even with the reported interest in Mainoo, Brown is of the opinion that none of it makes a difference when it comes to United’s stance on the matter.
“If they sell Kobbie Mainoo, the supporters will burn the stand down,” Brown told Football Insider. “I don’t think there’s a cat in hell’s chance of that happening any time soon.”
“Definitely not if the ethos of Manchester United means anything because they’ve always had an academy player in the team, and that’s something to be proud of.”
“Mainoo came through at a time when they were desperate, established himself as a key player, and he’s gone on to earn a place in the England squad.”
The former chief scout then pointed out how crucial Mainoo is to the team: “He’s still a very important part of Amroim’s team and will continue to be in the future. If the club are even going to think of selling people like that, then you’re entitled to question what direction the club is heading in.”
“As far as I’m aware, there are a host of players the club would open to selling before they let Mainoo go,” Brown concluded. “So the short answer is no, I wouldn’t expect United to sell Kobbie Mainoo under any circumstances.”
While the mentality of the club may certainly be brought into question should Mainoo be sold, it appears as if Brown’s intuition may be correct, meaning that a transfer is not on the cards.
Fabrizio Romano confirmed earlier in the day that Mainoo is expected to sign a new contract.
No matter the size of the offer that potentially comes in for Mainoo, there are few circumstances under which it would make sense for United to part ways with the 19 year old.
After all, his undisputed talent and youth make him a valuable asset that can benefit the club over the long-term future, helping manager Ruben Amorim to build his ideal squad.
Featured image Carl Recine via Getty Images
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Mathew Cohen
A faithful Manchester United supporter, Mathew has worked as a football writer and analyst for SB Nation, FanSided, and now The Peoples Person. Mathew’s heroes include David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Sir Alex Ferguson, all of whom played their part in creating some special childhood memories.
