‘He needs to fight for place’ – Man Utd reject Mainoo loan request

Kobbie Mainoo, a midfielder for Manchester United, has requested to leave on a loan.

The academy graduate was told by United that they value him and want him to stay and fight for his place.

Before the transfer deadline on Monday, it remains to be seen if there are any further discussions.

Numerous clubs have reportedly expressed interest in him, including Napoli, the Serie A champion.

Ruben Amorim, head coach of United, stated on Friday that he wants Mainoo to remain and “fight” for his place.

Kobbie needs to remain, I want. We need Kobbie, and he needs to fight for his place. That won’t change therefore.

The rest, I’m not sure how it’ll end. Everyone has the same opportunity to play, but I am aware that the players who aren’t playing right now are disappointed. You must engage in combat during the week.

Mainoo, 20, played the entire 90 minutes of his EFL Cup penalty shootout defeat at Grimsby on Wednesday.

However, he didn’t play in either of United’s opening Premier League games, and Amorim has informed him that he is competing with Bruno Fernandes for a starting spot.

Although negotiations over an extension have stalled, the England international has a contract until 2027.

Amorim first stated that Mainoo and Fernandes would face off this season in Chicago.

Amorim clearly believes the pair are best suited for Mainoo’s advanced midfield position, which he was also keen to emphasize, but he was also interested in stipulating that both men could play various positions.

How likely is it, at least in the near future, that he can remove the captain from the United States?

Mainoo is in reality a victim of his own success.

The Stockport-born player almost became a totem because he came into the team so frequently and quickly and almost emerged.

However, the end of the 2023-24 campaign revealed positional gaps in Mainoo’s game, which were frequently overlooked because United’s midfield was frequently overrun. Declan Rice covered him at the Euros.

Mainoo’s confidence and form dropped as the season began, and he injured himself when Erik ten Hag was fired and Amorim replaced him.

Mainoo was a prominent player in Amorim’s starting lineup from December onward, leading to a number of negative results.

By the time he returned from injury in February, Amorim had only started the Premier League, meaning his only other appearances at the end of the season had been in the Europa League. One of those games ended in draws at Bournemouth, with three of them being lost.

Amorim called on Mainoo against that backdrop during the summer.

The midfielder, who he claims has excellent passing range, excellent passing range, and unmatched speed in tight spaces, will benefit from the competition for spots, he believes.

Due to the loss at Grimsby, which combined with a lack of European competition this year, leaving United without any league action until the FA Cup campaign debuts in January, those concerns have grown even more acute.

Since Amorim’s appointment in November, Mainoo has started 16 games and started 45.

He scored in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City two years after joining the United team under Ten Hag two years ago, capsizing his domestic campaign.

In the Euro 2024 final defeat suffered by Spain, he then started for England.