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Analysis
- 59 minutes ago
Man Utd offered perfect Mainoo replacement as official statement made
Tom Weber
- Updated: 19 Dec 2025 18:42 GMT
- 4 min read
News
Manchester United have been presented with an opportunity to bring Marseille midfielder Angel Gomes back to the club, which could pave the way for Kobbie Mainoo to secure the January transfer he desires.
Gomes only moved to the Ligue 1 giants on a free transfer from Lille in the summer, but his future is already up in the air, according to L'Equipe.
The England international has failed to fully convince head coach Roberto de Zerbi. Gomes has yet to start a game in the Champions League, while he has been an unused substitute in Marseille's past two Ligue 1 outings after starting 12 of the available 14 previous games.
Current ETV
Angel Gomes
M, DM (C)
Marseille
Angel Gomes
M, DM (C)
Marseille
ETV Range
€15.6M - €19.1M
As a result, it is posited that the 25-year-old could look for a quick departure in January. The same applies to compatriot CJ Egan-Riley. He also joined in the summer but is unhappy with his minutes.
While it is too early to say where Gomes might end up should he indeed opt to leave Marseille, a return to Man Utd will almost certainly become a topic - at least in the media - given their desire to revamp their midfield.
Napoli confirm Mainoo interest
A potential move back to Old Trafford could make sense from the club's point of view. Man Utd would get an established midfield performer, and it would allow them to grant Kobbie Mainoo his loan request.
Napoli have been pushing hard for weeks to convince Man Utd to soften their stance on the 20-year-old. Sporting director Giovanni Manna again confirmed on Thursday that the Serie A champions' interest in Mainoo is genuine.
Speaking ahead of Napoli's 2-0 Supercoppa semi-final win over AC Milan in Riyadh, Manna said: “Regarding Mainoo, I have always said that we must be very reflective and careful in the January market."
He added that there may be "news" (a potential breakthrough?) imminently. "We have to make the right evaluations, wait for news in the next few days, and then act accordingly.”
Mainoo remains determined to leave Man Utd in a bid to get regular game time under his belt ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but the club will not allow him to leave unless they can secure an adequate replacement.
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