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Kobbie Mainoo Attracts Interest from European Giants, But Manchester United Advised to Consider Loan to Lyon
Kobbie Mainoo, the promising talent at Manchester United, has caught the attention of three major Champions League clubs eager to secure his signature. According to sources at talkSPORT, the 20-year-old midfielder is seeking an exit from Old Trafford next month, as he has fallen out of favor under manager Ruben Amorim.
Among the top clubs expressing interest in Mainoo are Bayern Munich and Napoli. Despite his limited playtime this season, with just 183 minutes in the Premier League, his potential has not gone unnoticed.
Andy Brassell, an expert in European football, shared with talkSPORT.com that Vincent Kompany’s team might be the preferable destination for Mainoo, should a decision need to be made between the two clubs.
This suggestion comes even as Napoli has successfully rejuvenated the careers of Mainoo’s former teammates, Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund, showcasing their ability to develop and nurture talent.
That is despite Napoli already revitalising the careers of two of Mainoo’s ex-teammates in Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund.
“I think when you look at Napoli at the moment, of course, you can see why they would be interested,” Brassell started.
“There’s absolutely no doubt about that. But midfield is the strongest part of Napoli’s team.
“You look at the players, they do have McTominay, [Stanislav] Lobotka, who’s an absolute prince of a midfielder. André-Frank Zambo Anguissa, who’s been brilliant since he’s been there, and then on top of that, you’ve got [Kevin] De Bruyne to come back.
“Is it just out of the frying pan, into the fire for Mainoo? I want him to go somewhere where I feel he’s going to play a lot.
“Now, look, his talent is a bit of a dilemma because his talent, on one hand, demands that he should play for an elite club.
“On the other hand, I think he needs to be somewhere where he’s going to play a lot. So, Bayern, again, there’s a question mark.
“What kind of helps him if he goes to Bayern is the fact that Konrad Laimer has basically permanently relocated to right-back.
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Bayern over Napoli for Mainoo
“As a player who’s not the same but shares quite a few of the same qualities, he’s not competition for him,” Brassell continued.
“When we’re talking about the other players in the Bayern midfield, [Joshua] Kimmick, maybe to an extent, but Aleksandar Pavlović, they’re different players to Mainoo.
“So, there’s definitely still, I would say, a place for him to get involved.
“Kompany likes guys who are really good on the ball. Again, big box ticks for Mainoo. When they get to next summer, I suspect, if not January, they will try and shift Leon Goretzka.
“Even if Ryan Gravenberch got stuck there, it feels to me that there will be more logical openings at Bayern than Napoli for Mainoo.”
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Atletico Madrid another option for Mainoo
Diego Simeone is also said to have earmarked Mainoo as a replacement should Conor Gallagher leave Atleti.
It would represent a full-circle moment for the midfielder, who replaced his compatriot during England’s Euro 2024 campaign.
Incidentally, Gallagher is on a six-man shortlist for Man United in 2026, having revealed his unhappiness at his lack of gametime.
The 22-cap England international even saw a potential loan switch to Old Trafford rebuffed on deadline day in August.
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Brassell told talkSPORT: “The other one we’ve got to mention, the other major European club that have shown interest in him [Mainoo], has got to be Atletico Madrid.
“Now, sometimes you feel as if they could do a little bit more craft in that midfield. Now, they have brought in Thiago Almada, Alex Baena, who would play a little bit further forward than Kobbie Mainoo and would be expected to provide more goals.
“That is the other plus for Mainoo, that he can play in a number of different midfield positions.”
Gallagher back in the Premier League
“There would be competition with Pablo Barrios, but the fact is, again, they’re going to be making a change,” Brassell added.
“I would be very surprised if Conor Gallagher wasn’t back in the Premier League by the start of 2026-27, the latest.
“We know Simeone appreciates him and his teammates appreciate him. He can’t make a permanent spot for himself.
“At some point, he’s going to say, ‘Look, I’m still in my 20s, I still want to play for England, I need to play regularly somewhere, and I’m never going to get that at Atletico’.”
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Mainoo loan to Lyon or Benfica
Mainoo, who has been with United since joining their academy aged nine, has so far failed to agree to a new contract with the Red Devils.
Amorim’s side blocked a loan move for the youngster last summer, but such an option may look more appealing in the winter window.
“All these clubs, I feel like Mainoo could be in the first 11s at any of those clubs. But I guess the question is, how do you get him into a position where he’s going to play all the time?
“That’s not an easy answer when you think of any of these clubs that are really suited to him.
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“I wonder if you’re maybe a club not quite of that level, you’re thinking, let’s make United an offer here, let’s loan him for half a season and then after he plays every week and plays really well, then we’ll sell him for whatever we want to sell him for, and we’ll get maximum value.
“Everyone has to agree that he’s not at the peak of his value at the moment. That is largely not his fault, but he hasn’t played enough to be.
“I think you’ll struggle to sell him for 60 or 70 million, for example, at the moment. It’s just not happening for that sort of money.
“I wonder if you loan him to a club that couldn’t actually afford to buy him. Whether that be a Lyon or a Benfica or someone like that.
“This is a guy who’s going to play every week, he’s going to absolutely smash it.
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Like Real Madrid’s Endrick plan
“A little bit like what is the plan at the moment, at least, for Endrick to go to Lyon on a dry loan for the second half of the season.
“He’s keen to go because before the World Cup, he knows he can play every week. A dry loan for Mainoo would seem like a really good idea.
“Maybe still if he goes and plays 20, 25 games in the back half of the season, he’s still got an outside chance for the World Cup squad.
“Okay, it is an outside chance, but it’s a chance nevertheless.
“Then, after he’s proved how great he is, United can sell at the sort of value more commensurate with his talent.”
