Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has reacted after being left out of the starting XI for the club’s first two Premier League matches of the season.
England international Mainoo failed to play a single minute against Arsenal on the opening day or in the 1-1 draw with Fulham.
Although he was given the duration of the embarrassing Carabao Cup exit against Grimsby Town in midweek, he has taken a strong decision over his future, having clearly become disgruntled with life under Ruben Amorim.
According to The Athletic, Mainoo has decided to request a move away from United on loan before the transfer window shuts.
In a meeting with the Red Devils, the 20-year-old told bosses that he has “no intention” of leaving on a permanent basis but that he does feel he needs a move away to continue to progress.
He wants more regular game time, with an eye on playing for England at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
Where will Mainoo go?
There has been interest in Mainoo primarily from the Bundesliga this summer.
Bayern Munich looked at signing him while former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag sought to add him to his Bayer Leverkusen squad. In both of these cases, no significant progress was made.
That leaves it uncertain where the youngster may wind up.
In the longer term, there is also the thorny issue of his contract. Negotiations have broken down between the players and club on an improvement on Mainoo’s current €24,000-per-week (£20,000) contract, with the player reportedly requesting a figure 10 times that amount.
With a deal that expires in 2027, he will be seeking to impress on loan to ensure that he can get the type of new contract that he wants. Where that will be, however, is unclear.
Mainoo’s desire to leave, meanwhile, will leave United scrambling in the transfer market as they will need a replacement to step into Amorim’s squad.
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