Kobbie Mainoo Targeted by Premier League Rivals as Dressing Room Feelings Revealed

Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo is being targeted by a Premier League rival, it has been claimed.

The United academy graduate has struggled for game-time under Ruben Amorim, having been restricted to just 73 minutes of Premier League football so far this term.

Indeed, Mainoo who netted United’s decisive goal in the 2024 FA Cup final and started for England in the Euro 2024 final, has been so starved of minutes under Amorim, he asked to be loaned out at the end of the summer transfer window. It's a request his manager turned down.

However, a TalkSport report has suggested that Mainoo could still depart United in the January window, with Newcastle United said to be keeping tabs on the 20-year-old.

Newcastle boss Eddie Howe is allegedly an admirer of Mainoo and would reportedly consider testing United’s resolve in January should the player continue to find himself out in the cold.

TalkSport added that Mainoo’s teammates are “perplexed” by Amorim’s lack of faith in the player, a feeling shared by large contingents of the Old Trafford faithful and pundits.

Before last Sunday’s Manchester derby, however, Amorim explained why Mainoo’s minutes were being restricted.

"I didn't have a conversation with him before the window closed because I didn't want Kobbie Mainoo thinking that I was having a conversation with him just to hold on to him," explained Amorim. "I did it this week.

"I believe in him a lot. He is a top player. But some of you think that Kobbie Mainoo is already done [a complete player]. I think he can do so much better.

"For some guys [talent] is enough, but for him it is not. Maybe it's not fair, but I think I'm helping Kobbie and that's it."

Kobbie Mainoo in action for Manchester United (Credit:Getty)

Amorim added: "The way I play is completely different from the last manager. I watched a lot of Premier League games when I was in Portugal. You can feel the Manchester United team was really transitional.

"Sometimes I looked at Kobbie Mainoo and felt he was the only guy who calmed the game down. Now we have other players who can do that and we play a different game.

"Kobbie is really good at controlling the game, but if he plays as an eight he has to reach the box and return. Sometimes he has to cover a lot of space with just two [players].

"He could play as a six (defensive midfielder) but sometimes he passes the ball and goes away, which is not a reference as a six.

"We have to balance everything. He has the technical ability but he needs to understand the position better. He needs to play in different speeds - sometimes lower, sometimes faster. He can improve on that."