Mainoo DEMANDS Man Utd exit

Robin Bairner
Robin Bairner
  • Updated: 29 Aug 2025 01:12 CDT
  • 4 min read
Kobbie Mainoo, Man Utd
© IMAGO

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has reacted after being left out of the starting XI for the club’s first two Premier League matches of the season.

Article continues under the video

England international Mainoo failed to play a single minute against Arsenal on the opening day or in the 1-1 draw with Fulham.

Although he was given the duration of the embarrassing Carabao Cup exit against Grimsby Town in midweek, he has taken a strong decision over his future, having clearly become disgruntled with life under Ruben Amorim.

Current ETV
Player image Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo

DM, M (C)

Man Utd logo

Man Utd

Kobbie Mainoo
Kobbie Mainoo

DM, M (C)

Man Utd

Man Utd

€61.1M

ETV Range

€55M - €67.2M

According to The Athletic, Mainoo has decided to request a move away from United on loan before the transfer window shuts.

In a meeting with the Red Devils, the 20-year-old told bosses that he has “no intention” of leaving on a permanent basis but that he does feel he needs a move away to continue to progress.

He wants more regular game time, with an eye on playing for England at the 2026 World Cup in North America.

Kobbie Mainoo: Wants a loan move
© IMAGO - Kobbie Mainoo: Wants a loan move

Where will Mainoo go?

There has been interest in Mainoo primarily from the Bundesliga this summer.

Bayern Munich looked at signing him while former Man Utd boss Erik ten Hag sought to add him to his Bayer Leverkusen squad. In both of these cases, no significant progress was made.

That leaves it uncertain where the youngster may wind up.

In the longer term, there is also the thorny issue of his contract. Negotiations have broken down between the players and club on an improvement on Mainoo’s current €24,000-per-week (£20,000) contract, with the player reportedly requesting a figure 10 times that amount.

With a deal that expires in 2027, he will be seeking to impress on loan to ensure that he can get the type of new contract that he wants. Where that will be, however, is unclear.

Mainoo’s desire to leave, meanwhile, will leave United scrambling in the transfer market as they will need a replacement to step into Amorim’s squad.

Football transfer news headlines today

Five misfits Man Utd must sell after Grimsby EMBARRASSMENT

Five transfers Man Utd must make to SAVE Ruben Amorim's job

Man Utd’s biggest problem ISN’T Ruben Amorim

How much will it cost Man Utd to sack Ruben Amorim?

DONE DEALS: Every official completed transfer around Europe today

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

Google Play

App Store