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The future of Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo remains up in the air as Ruben Amorim continues to ignore him this season.
Despite the obvious lack of balance in midfield, the head coach has not given the Englishman a single start in the Premier League so far.
His only start came in the Carabao Cup, a match the Red Devils lost to League Two side Grimsby Town. This lack of playing time has seen England boss Thomas Tuchel switch to other options in midfield.
And with time running out to make the World Cup squad, the Carrington graduate is keen to turn the situation around and to do so he wants to leave Old Trafford and join a side where he is guaranteed regular playing time.
Mainoo had a hard time under Amorim for several minutes
Napoli came close to sealing his signature in the summer, but INEOS ultimately blocked his departure. The co-owners asked the 20-year-old to work harder to regain his place in the first team.
The defending Serie A champions have still not given up on the England international and are planning a new loan approach in January. They plan to include a purchase option in the deal.
However, according to Fabrizio Romano (via The Napolista), the twenty-time champions of the English league do not want to permanently lose their academy diploma, and fortunately Kobbie Mainoo thinks so too.
He does not want to leave his boyhood club permanently, but is very interested in a simple loan to Naples, where he will be reunited with former teammates Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund.
Napoli back in the mix
“As I have always told you, for Napoli’s midfield I continue to focus on a list of two or three names that the club is evaluating internally to complete the squad in January, given the injuries to Zambo and Kevin De Bruyne.”
“Kobbie Mainoo is a name worth keeping in mind. Napoli remains a very attractive club for him, and I can confirm this 100%. The player is very interested in this opportunity, despite the turbulent last weeks and the unmemorable results, especially in the Champions League.”
“I wanted to clarify something: during the break there was news about Kobbie Mainoo, but it is not a loan with option to buy. Napoli would like to have the option, but United clearly say no. Guys, a loan with option to buy for Kobbie Mainoo has never existed, not even since last August.”
“All Kobbie Mainoo has asked for is a loan. When he spoke to Manchester United at the end of August, he specifically asked for a loan without an option to buy, because he loves Manchester United: he grew up as a fan and as an Academy player.”
Strict conditions set
“He wants to go out on loan and after this experience anything can happen: if he feels particularly good there, he can decide to stay where he is. But at the moment, Kobbie Mainoo’s wish is clear: a dry loan. If United decide to let him go, they will only do so under these circumstances.”
The Stockport-born star is likely to be more involved when AFCON gets underway, while given Manuel Ugarte’s form and Casemiro’s age, it seems inevitable that Amorim will turn to him at some point.
The problem is that the Portuguese sees Mainoo as a number 8 and not as a deep-lying playmaker. It will be interesting to see how this situation develops as the January window approaches.
Feature image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
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