Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has said that he wants to keep Kobbie Mainoo at the club amid the recent uncertainty surrounding the midfielder.
The 19-year-old's future has been called into question, having allegedly been unhappy with the initial terms that he has been offered by the Red Devils when it comes to a potential new contract.
Mainoo is one of the lowest earners at Old Trafford on £20,000 a week, with his deal due to run until June 2027, with the option of a further 12 months, but Man United are looking to sign him to a new contract with improved terms.
The England international is thought to want in the region of £200,000 a week, and a shock departure from Old Trafford has not been ruled out due to the club's financial situation, as his status as a former academy player means that any exit would count as pure profit under the Premier League's Profit and Sustainability rules.
Chelsea are currently being heavily linked with the midfielder, but Amorim, speaking ahead of Sunday's FA Cup third-round contest with Arsenal, expressed his desire to keep hold of the youngster.
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Mainoo's future at Man United is currently being called into question
"Yeah, my players are always my favourites," Amorim replied when asked about Mainoo. "So I really love my players, I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones. It's a special moment in this club, it's a hard moment, I am really happy with Kobbie, he is improving and also with Garna (Alejandro Garnacho).
"The first thing I think I don't remember to say clearly that I want new players. What I said is sometimes the profile for this system is different and the players came here with a different idea how to play.
"I don't remember to say that so clearly that I want new players. What I said is that we need to improve recruitment when we are targeting players, we need to be sure they will cope with the demands, sometimes you have to bet a little bit.
"And what I said also is we have to improve our academy, to bring in young kids that feel the club in the right way and with that rules we are able to do some business and to have money to invest in the team.
"Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club but we know the position the club is in at the moment. We will see. But I'm very happy. I really like the players, especially the guys from the academy."
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Could Man United really let Mainoo leave?
It is incredibly difficult to imagine Man United letting Mainoo depart, and the club would surely explore all other avenues if they were pushed into a situation where the sale of an academy player was required.
Marcus Rashford's departure would also count as pure profit, but an exit on a permanent basis this month is thought to be unlikely, with the unsettled attacker instead expected to leave on loan.
Garnacho is another to be linked with an exit, having lost his starting role under Amorim, but the Man United head coach also name-dropped the Argentina international when asked about Mainoo, suggesting that he is in his plans.
Mainoo has made 17 appearances for Man United this season, while he has represented the Red Devils on 52 occasions in all competitions, scoring five goals and registering one assist in the process.
Matt Law
