‘Could quite easily end up at…’: Kobbie Mainoo urged to make unthinkable Premier League move by two treble winners

Nicky Butt and Paul Scholes are in complete agreement that Kobbie Mainoo should leave Manchester United to revive his currently stagnant career.It’s a sad state of affairs to see two iconic treble winners, both of whom came through the academy, encourage a homegrown, coveted Carrington graduate to turn his back on his boyhood club.However, you can’t argue that it wouldn’t be justified.Kobbie Mainoo’s uncertain United situation(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)Mainoo has been utilised incredibly sparingly by Ruben Amorim since 2025/2026 got underway.So far this term, he has made nine appearances in total, all of which came from the bench, while the midfielder has also been an unused substitute for four whole matches.He spent the full 90 minutes of United’s draw with West Ham watching on from the sidelines, and made a measly one-minute cameo to see out the side’s win over Crystal Palace just over a week ago at Selhurst Park.Mainoo’s emphatic breakout campaign at Old Trafford culminated with him scoring in the FA Cup final and lifting the trophy at Wembley. Two months later, he was starting in a Euros final against Spain after just featuring at his first-ever major international tournament with England.Some fans have put forward a case that, if there is a system implemented that cannot cater to Mainoo’s strengths or have him involved in any way, perhaps the issue lies with the system itself, especially given it hasn’t been too successful since Amorim took the reins last November.Butt and Scholes: We’d encourage Mainoo to leave United(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Weighing in on the 20-year-old’s precarious situation in the build-up to the January window, Scholes said on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast: “Kobbie Mainoo, he (Amorim) said he’s a starter – he’s made nine appearances in the Premier League, every one of them as a sub.”Butt chimed in: “If I’m looking after Kobbie Mainoo, I’m going, ‘Kobbie, we’re getting you out of that football club’ You don’t need to speak up, we’ll sort it out.’“For his football career, he has to leave Man United. He’s lost 18 months of development.”When Paddy McGuinness asked whether the youngster would stay in the English top flight or move abroad, Butt responded: “Well, that’s the scary thing. I hope he goes abroad, because it’s embarrassing if he goes to Chelsea, which they might go and get him. They are putting together a very good, young squad, and they keep buying young players, and they keep buying the right young players. He could quite easily end up at Chelsea next season.”“And, do you know what, you’d have to advise him to go wouldn’t you?” Scholes remarked. “If he rang me today and said, ‘Look, I think Chelsea are in for me, what do you think?’ F*****g all day long.”“I’ve known Kobbie since he was seven or eight,” said Butt. “If I went for a coffee with Kobbie and him (Scholes), you wouldn’t be doing him (Mainoo) justice if you said, ‘No, no, Kobbie, stay at Man United because they’re the best club in the world.’“I’ve said that to loads of kids. If I were sitting with him, I’d say, ‘For your own sanity and career, go.” “If Chelsea came in for him, I’d tell him to go!” 😳 Paul Scholes & Nicky Butt think Kobbie Mainoo needs to LEAVE Man United! 👀 pic.twitter.com/mMoVgw3i8X — The Good, The Bad & The Football (@goodbadftblpod) December 8, 2025