Manchester United look set to dig in when it comes to the future of home-grown midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, only willing to consider letting him leave on one crucial condition—a huge offer.

Mainoo hasn’t started a Premier League game so far this season after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford. The 20-year-old’s situation has generated plenty of headlines and reaction in recent weeks, with his substitution into Monday night’s 4–4 draw against Bournemouth commanding vocal approval from fans inside the stadium. Mainoo performed well.

Ruben Amorim has stressed that there is nothing personal in consistently overlooking the player for starts this season, a year removed from his meteoric rise and heroic Euro 2024 contributions. The manager has also denied suggestions that he doesn’t rate him.

Mainoo’s apparent desire to leave United on loan has been well publicised since late summer. The club were reported to have rejected a request from him then and are similarly disinclined to allow it now. Napoli are among his suitors and have been named as Mainoo’s ‘preferred’ destination, but all interested parties could end up being disappointed unless they pay through the nose.

According to Sky Sports, the only circumstance that will see United sell Mainoo in the upcoming January transfer window is in the event of an “exceptional offer.” Ideally, they do not want to sell, nor would they allow the Stockport-born talent to leave on loan midway through the season.

Kobbie Mainoo
Only a big offer will tempt Man Utd. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

The same report adds that Mainoo is viewed as a “key part” of Amorim’s plans, with the club of the opinion that he will only improve as he gets older—it’s worth noting Mainoo has yet to reach 100 senior games for club and country in his fledgling career to date, playing 94.

Mainoo’s Half-Brother Criticised Over T-Shirt Stunt

Whether Mainoo was complicit in his brother’s stunt during the Bournemouth game is unclear. Jordan Mainoo-Hames, the player’s older half-sibling, unveiled a T-shirt in the stands at Old Trafford that read ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’, posing for photographs and pointedly uploading a snap to social media.

Some prominent United fans have dismissed his actions as attention-seeking and only adding more fuel to the fire, while ex-United captain Roy Keane branded the model and influencer an “idiot”. A former Love Island contestant, he has only more recently started using the Mainoo name, previously known as Jordan Hames, which has led people to rightly or wrongly question his intentions.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Man Utd Will Only Sanction Kobbie Mainoo Exit if One Condition Is Met—Report.

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