Napoli could resurrect their loan offer for wantaway Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo in January, a report has claimed.
Mainoo’s future has been the subject of intense scrutiny all summer. Seemingly condemned to a role on the bench for Ruben Amorim, the Manchester United academy graduate reportedly made it clear that he wanted to leave his boyhood club to go in search of guaranteed first-team football.
Amorim publicly rebuffed that approach, insisting that he valued the midfielder. That faith still hasn’t rewarded Mainoo with a single Premier League start this season, prompting the ambitious 20-year-old to double down on his stance of pushing for a summer exit.
Napoli were one of the numerous teams linked with a move for Mainoo in the final hours of the recently closed window. ESPN claim that the England international’s temporary stay in Naples was “mapped out” only for United to reject the offer. The report opens up the possibility of Napoli “resurrecting” their interest in January on the condition that United can source a suitable replacement.
The Red Devils are already expected to be in the market for a new midfielder in 2026. Brighton & Hove Albion’s Carlos Baleba remains the ideal candidate, although United are thought to be willing to recruit a more affordable stop-gap in January should the Seagulls push back on losing their star midfielder in the middle of the season.
Mainoo’s supposed unhappiness at United not only stems from a lack of game time but, as ESPN point out, also hinges upon the player’s contract situation. The academy graduate signed a deal which stretches until 2027 (with the club-held option of a further year) back in January 2023. At that point, Mainoo was just 17 and had not yet made a single senior appearance.
Two-and-a-half years on, and despite his recent struggles for minutes, Mainoo is a senior England international openly admired by a glut of clubs operating in the Champions League. However, any discussions surrounding a salary increase have stalled since Sir Jim Ratcliffe took control of sporting decisions.
READ THE LATEST MAN UTD NEWS, TRANSFER RUMORS AND MORE
This article was originally published on www.si.com as ‘Resurrected’—Kobbie Mainoo Given Hope of Man Utd Escape in January.