There is a ‘growing sense’ at Manchester United that Kobbie Mainoo will remain at the club, according to David Ornstein, despite the youngster turning down a contract extension.
United will be in the market to sell a number of players this summer as they look to rebuild their squad under Ruben Amorim, with no player considered unsellable due to the club’s disastrous campaign so far.
Marcus Rashford, Antony and Tyrell Malacia, all out on loan, will be allowed to leave, while offers will be considered for players such as Alejandro Garnacho, Rasmus Hojlund and Casemiro this summer.
Mainoo was expected to be another player that United were open to cashing in on and, while that is unlikely to have changed due to the club’s financial limitations, Ornstein wrote on The Athletic that there was a ‘growing sense’ over the 20-year-old staying at Old Trafford.
However, Ornstein did concede that United would need to ‘address’ Mainoo’s contract, which is due to expire in 2028 assuming the club activate their one-year option.
The academy graduate stunned United last month by turning down a new deal, with Mainoo believed to be considering a move abroad despite reported interest from Premier League sides such as Chelsea and Arsenal.
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United to focus on sales after closing in on attacking transfers
United are reluctant to sanction the sale of their academy talent such as Mainoo but their ongoing struggles with PSR mean the club are desperate to raise funds to revolutionise their squad.
An agreement is thought to be close in a €75 million deal for Wolves star Matheus Cunha, while Liam Delap is United’s ideal choice to strengthen in attack due to his €35m release clause at Ipswich.
Jadon Sancho’s loan move to Chelsea is understood to have become official in the last week, giving United a welcome windfall, while Rashford’s form at Aston Villa has increased optimism that the Red Devils can secure up to €50m from his sale.
United would then assess interest in the likes of Hojlund and Garnacho after inconsistent campaigns from both players, meaning that Mainoo’s sale this summer is perhaps only feasible if his contractual situation completely deteriorates.
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