Kobbie Mainoo hopes to leave Manchester United on loan in the January transfer window, with West Ham United reported to be offering the young midfielder a spot with “guaranteed minutes.”
Game time is at the heart of Mainoo’s frustrations. Having seen a loan request rejected during the summer, the 20-year-old has played just 138 Premier League minutes this season, with his only start of the campaign coming in the Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town.
Mainoo’s struggle for minutes under manager Ruben Amorim has seen him lose his spot in the England squad—he hasn’t played for the Three Lions since September 2024—and he is set to try and secure a temporary move away from Old Trafford during the winter window, with West Ham interested in securing his signature.
According to Fabrizio Romano, West Ham have assured Mainoo that he would see significant minutes if he does join the club for the second half of the season, with Hammers boss Nuno Espírito Santo known to be chasing fresh legs in midfield.
Napoli are thought to have reignited their interest in Mainoo after Kevin De Bruyne was struck down by a hamstring injury, but convincing United to part ways with a player who is seen as valuable cover for the starting lineup could be the toughest task.
Amorim: Mainoo Deserves to Play
Amorim has been publicly sympathetic towards Mainoo, who has not started a Premier League game since May after seeing veteran midfielder Casemiro overtake him in the pecking order.
The United boss has laughed off suggestions he has an issue with Mainoo and, in a recent interview with beIN SPORTS, confessed an absence of midweek football is the only reason the young midfielder has not played more.
Defeat in the Carabao Cup, coupled with the lack of European football this season, means rotation has not been necessary for Amorim, who has opted to stick with the same make-up of a side that is unbeaten in their last four outings.
“I see Kobbie Mainoo training today, and he deserves to play,” Amorim explained. “But then I have to take [out] one guy that is playing really well.
“We should have played in the Carabao Cup, because I need to see Kobbie Mainoo playing. I need to see Josh [Zirkzee]... all these guys, they deserve to play, but in the end, with one game [every week], you need to make choices. So you have both sides, but we are taking advantage of the good side of not playing in the middle of the week.”
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Kobbie Mainoo Offered ‘Guaranteed Minutes’ by Premier League Club.
