Fabrizio Romano: Kobbie Mainoo “very interested” in joining CL giants in January, United have set one strict condition

The future of Manchester United starlet Kobbie Mainoo remains up in the air with Ruben Amorim continuing to ignore him this season. Despite the obvious lack of balance in midfield, the head coach has not handed the Englishman a single start so far in the Premier League. His only start came in the Carabao Cup, a game the Red Devils lost to League Two side Grimsby Town. This lack of game time has seen England boss Thomas Tuchel move on to other options in midfield. And with time running out to make the cut for the World Cup, the Carrington graduate is keen to reverse the situation and for that he wants to leave Old Trafford and join a side where he will be guaranteed regular minutes. Mainoo has struggled for minutes under Amorim Napoli came close to sealing his signature in the summer, but INEOS ended up blocking his departure. The co-owners asked the 20-year-old to work harder to win his first team spot back. The defending Serie A champions have still not given up on the England international, and are plotting another loan approach in January and they plan to include an option to buy in the deal. However, as per Fabrizio Romano (via Il Napolista), the 20-time English league champions do not want to lose their academy graduate permanently, and thankfully, Kobbie Mainoo also thinks the same. He does not want to leave his boyhood club on a permanent basis, but is very interested in a simple loan to Naples where he will be reunited with former teammates Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund. Napoli once again in the mix “As I’ve always told you, for Napoli’s midfield I’m remaining focused on a list of two or three names that the club is evaluating internally to complete the squad in January, considering the injuries to Zambo and Kevin De Bruyne.” “Kobbie Mainoo is a name worth keeping in mind. Napoli remains a very attractive club for him, and I can confirm this 100%. The player is very interested in this opportunity, despite the turbulent past few weeks and the unmemorable results, especially in the Champions League. “I wanted to clarify something: during the break, there was talk of news on Kobbie Mainoo, but it’s not a loan with an option to buy. Napoli would like to have the option, but United clearly says no. Guys, a loan with an option to buy for Kobbie Mainoo has never existed, not even since last August. “The only thing Kobbie Mainoo has asked for is a loan. When he spoke to Manchester United at the end of August, he specifically asked for a loan with no option to buy, because he loves Manchester United: he grew up as a fan and an Academy player. Strict condition set “He wants to go on loan, and after this experience, anything could happen: if he feels particularly good there, he could decide to stay wherever he is. But right now, Kobbie Mainoo’s desire is clear: a dry loan. If United decide to let him go, they will only do so under these conditions.” The Stockport-born star is likely to be involved more when AFCON kicks off, while given the form of Manuel Ugarte and Casemiro’s age, it seems inevitable that Amorim will turn to him at some point. The problem is the Portuguese sees Mainoo as a No.8 and not a deep-lying playmaker. It will be interesting to see how this situation unfolds as the January window creeps nearer. Feature image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Ayantan Chowdhury After failing to become a professional footballer, Ayantan switched to the next best thing: writing about the greatest football club in the world. He has extensive sports journalism experience, having worked for over 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25