Ruben Amorim sends clear message to Kobbie Mainoo as midfielder linked with shock move
Kobbie Mainoo being linked with a move away from Manchester United is surprising - but has not come out of the blue.
The England international, 22, could be used as a sacrificial lamb to balance Man United’s books, with the club needing to offload players in order to meet the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Mainoo is one of the homegrown players at Old Trafford, and so any sale would also count as pure profit, rather than being calculated into a net profit from the original transfer.
According to the Athletic, Bayer Leverkusen are interested in signing him, which would signal a reunion with former manager Erik ten Hag. He has also been linked with the likes of Brentford and Nottingham Forest.
Crucially, however, Mainoo seems to have no place in manager Ruben Amorim’s starting XI; in the centre of his preferred 3-4-3 formation, Bruno Fernandes is nailed, and Mainoo is not the physical, defensive presence needed to parner him.
This evening (August 27), Manchester United are taking part in the Carabao Cup, playing against League Two side Grimsby Town. For the match, Amorim has sent a clear message to both Mainoo and goalkeeper Andre Onana about their futures.
Both players were named in his starting XI for the match - albeit against a side far below Man United’s level.
It’s a show of faith for the pair, with Manuel Ugarte and new striker Benjamin Sesko also startting the match.
Speaking before the game, Amorim said: “Our team needs to be consistent in the way that we control the game and we need to have options to play a different game on the bench. Sesko has had two weeks for us, he is trying to understand everything.
“We need to wait a little bit to help the player. We just want to win the game and try to help all of our players."