rumour
With concerns over the lack of progress in talks over a new contract, Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been linked with Chelsea by the Daily Mail, who say that the Blues are already “leading the race” for the 19-year-old.
Our opinion:
Is there even a race to lead at this time? Mainoo is under contract until 2027 and also has a 12-month extension clause in his £20,000-a-week deal that United will 100% trigger, even if only to spite their rivals. Just cancel a few more staff bonuses and it will pay off anyway.
Chelsea is already crowded with midfielders. Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo are the preferred starters – as they should be after costing £222m combined – while Romeo Lavia is doing a solid job as a backup, and Andrey Santos is stealing hearts on loan with Strasbourg.
A cut-price deal for Mainoo is one any club would consider regardless of the composition of their current squad, but it’s hard to see Chelsea putting any real effort into a hypothetical transfer that wouldn’t happen until 2027 anyway.
In addition, the claims that he is no longer untouchable sound far more dramatic than necessary. United do not want to sell, but may be tempted if a club comes with stupid money. That is the case for literally every player in the world.
