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- 13 minutes ago
Man Utd stunned as Pep Guardiola targets January raid
Cameron Smith
- 23 Oct 2025 12:53 BST
- 5 min read
News
Manchester City are reportedly among the clubs interested in signing Manchester United outcast Kobbie Mainoo during the January transfer window.
The England midfielder is yet to start a Premier League match so far this season, after falling out of favour under Ruben Amorim, and he has been heavily tipped to leave Old Trafford in 2026 amid his current status at the club.
Current ETV
Kobbie Mainoo
M, DM (C)
Man Utd
Kobbie Mainoo
M, DM (C)
Man Utd
ETV Range
€55.1M - €67.4M
Napoli were eager to finalise a loan deal for Mainoo this summer and it’s understood that he was keen to leave his boyhood club after dropping down the pecking order during the early weeks of the 2025-26 campaign.
The 20-year-old hasn’t featured for England since September 2024 and it has now been widely reported that he wants to leave Man Utd in January in order to boost his chance of being selected by Thomas Tuchel for next summer’s World Cup.
This has been confirmed by TEAMtalk, who state that Man City are one of the contenders to land Mainoo during the winter transfer window as Pep Guardiola eyes an ambitious mid-season raid.
The eight-time Premier League champions already have a stacked midfield roster that includes the likes of Rodri, Tijjani Reijnders, Nico Gonzalez and Mateo Kovacic, however Mainoo has now been identified as a possible target.
Brentford, Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also reportedly keeping close tabs on Mainoo’s situation at Old Trafford ahead of a potential bid next year. Meanwhile, FootballTransfers understands that Brighton & Hove Albion were among the teams interested in the Englishman this summer.
Kobbie Mainoo to leave Man Utd?
When asked about Mainoo ahead of Man Utd’s win over Liverpool on Sunday, Red Devils legend Roy Keane told Sky Sports: “It obviously seems to be a problem for Mainoo getting into this team.
“The word coming out is they don’t think he can cover the ground that quickly, but if you look at Man United’s other midfielders they’ve got, they’re not great at that either. As a young player, he has to suck that up and work hard, and when he gets a chance, he has to take it.
“A young player with good potential cannot be guaranteed a place in United’s team. But it will come down to the player himself. Your job every day, every week is to make sure the manager puts you in the team.”
STATS
Kobbie Mainoo
M, DM (C)
Man Utd
Kobbie Mainoo
M, DM (C)
Man Utd
Keane added: “If the manager deep down doesn't fancy him? I don't know. We will find that out in the next few weeks. Because if he doesn't fancy him, he might have to move him on. But Mainoo's got that opportunity. He got some plaudits when he first came in; he was involved in the England squad. He has to get back to that.
“He's had opportunities recently, and when he's come on and got opportunities, he just looks a bit short for me. I wouldn't be scratching my head thinking, 'Why is he not in the team?' I can see why he [Amorim] is not picking him at this moment in time.”
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