REPORTS that Kobbie Mainoo has asked for a permanent move to Napoli came as a surprise to Manchester United
Ruben Amorim wants the England star to stay despite giving him a limited amount of game time this season.
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Mainoo asked United’s hierarchy about a possible loan move hours after playing the full 90 minutes of Wednesday’s dismal Carabao Cup defeat to League Two side Grimsby.
And Serie A champions Napoli were one of the clubs who got in touch about loaning Mainoo for the season before Monday’s 7pm deadline.
However there was nothing from the Italian champs to suggest a permanent move is an option.
United are determined not to let Mainoo, whose contract talks stalled months ago, to go out on loan with two years left on his deal.
Mainoo has demanded £180,000 in weekly wages in line with other top earners at the club, but United are miles off that valuation.
The Red Devils’ potential offer to Mainoo of £75,000 to £100,000-per-week is far below the 20-year-old midfielder’s expectations.
The 12-11 penalty shoot-out defeat to the Mariners marked Mainoo’s first minutes of the season after being left on the bench for the first two winless Prem games.
The England star has fallen down the midfield pecking order and was told he must face the impossible task of ousting skipper Bruno Fernandes from the starting XI.
He was again left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad on Friday for the upcoming autumn internationals.
Garna catch you
FELLOW star-boy Alejandro Garnacho is set to return to Old Trafford with Chelsea in three weeks time.
The once loved academy graduate is on the verge of completing a £40million move to Stamford Bridge after falling out with Amorim.
The club have wished the Argentine well for the future, but there appears to be no love lost between Amorim and the young winger.
Hours after his Chelsea fee was announced, Garnacho removed all mentions of Man Utd from his social media accounts.
The image of Garnacho, alongside Rasmus Hojlund, and Mainoo, sat on the advertising boards at Old Trafford in celebration in February 2024, appeared to showcase Man Utd’s bright future.
But all three have been linked with exits under Amorim’s haphazard revolution.
The manager is under enough pressure without Garnacho scoring for the away side in M16 on September 20.
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Onana stays
DESPITE his horrorshow at rainy Grimsby, Andre Onana has been assured that he’ll remain a United player this season.
The former Inter Milan shot-stopper made two mistakes for the goals, allowing Charles Vernam’s effort to beat him at his near post before he flapped at a corner leaving Tyrell Warren to tap the ball home into an empty net.
On his first start of the season after picking up a hamstring injury during the summer, Onana was given an earful from the fans behind his goal during the pitiful performance.
United were previously linked to replacements in Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, while names such as Jan Oblak, Mike Maignan and Gianluigi Donnarumma were also touted.
And talks have stalled with Royal Antwerp over 23-year-old Belgian star Senne Lammens.
Since signing, Onana has topped the charts for errors leading to goals across Europe’s top five leagues.
But the Cameroon international is set to stay, with Altay Bayindir also likely to remain a United player this season and compete for the No 1 spot.
Bayindir, 27, will reject the advances to return to his homeland in Turkey, with Super Lig champions Galatasaray interested despite their transfer window closing 12 days after England’s.
Jose to return?
BACK in October Jose Mourinho revealed what he will look for in his next job….and United fit the bill!
The Special One was sent off as his Fenerbahce drew with the Red Devils in a Europa League group stage back in the autumn.
And he said he might be better off managing a team who are at the bottom of the table and not in Uefa competition.
Here’s what he said: “I think the best thing I have to do is – when I leave Fenerbahce – I go to a club not playing in UEFA competition.
“So if anybody in England – from the bottom of the table – needs a couple in two years then I’m ready.”
Remind you of anyone?
United finished 15th last season – they are currently one place lower in the early Prem table – but have no European football to distract them.
He left United just before Christmas in 2018 after a stormy two and a half years in charge.
But surely someone at Old Trafford will still have his phone number.
Osula
A SHOCK connection has emerged between United and Newcastle star William Osula.
Osula hit the headlines this week after scoring what seemed to be a late equaliser against Liverpool on Monday, before Arne Slot’s side made it 3-2 at the death.
But the 22-year-old striker was once recognised by United in 2014 as an 11-year-old winner of their MU Soccer Schools World Skills Final.
The Euros Under-21 ace was presented with a huge trophy by club legend Bryan Robson at Old Trafford.
Despite having him on trial, the Red Devils passed on the opportunity to sign the Dane to their academy – so he stayed at Copenhagen until joining Sheffield United in 2018.
It was during his United trial where Osula became friends with now team-mate and former United star Anthony Elanga, who joined Newcastle from Nottingham Forest for £52million this summer.
After joining the Toon, Elanga, 23, said: “He’s like my little brother. I’ve known him for a long time. When I was at Manchester United, he came on trial when he was 12. He’s not changed. Saw him today and couldn’t stop smiling.”
Both the Geordie club and fans joked that ‘Agent Osula’ – who joined Eddie Howe’s side for £10m last summer – brought Elanga to St James’ Park when the former signed in July.
Fans turn on Amorim
MANY fans are turning against Amorim after one of the worst results in United’s history on Wednesday night.
The away end at Blundell Park didn’t sing the famed Amorim song at all that evening.
Despite losing so many games last season, the supporters remained steadfast and publicly belted their voices in his support at every game last season.
But the match-going support which had chanted for him as recently as Sunday at Fulham remained silent during the grim night at Grimsby.
No way were they going to celebrate a manager in charge of a team losing to a fourth-tier side.
Malacia exit a priority
WIDELY forgotten Bomb Squad member Tyrell Malacia looks set to join Spanish side Elche before Mondays’ deadline.
The deal will most likely be a loan but the Spanish side say they are still evaluating the structure of a potential agreement.
Malacia returned to United this summer after spending the second half of last season on loan at PSV Eindhoven, who covered the full-back’s wages and had an option to buy, which was not taken up.
Malacia was the first signing made by former United manager Erik ten Hag at United for an initial £12.9million in 2022.
He made 39 appearances in his debut season before suffering the knee injury and did not feature under Ten Hag again, returning to the matchday squad for Amorim’s first game against Ipswich in November last year.
Malacia played 12 times for PSV as they overcame a nine-point deficit to beat Ajax and defend their Eredivisie title, having played for Feyenoord ahead of his move to Old Trafford
Malacia will likely be free to leave for nothing once his contract expires next summer, even though United retain an option to extend for a further year.
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Special rules for JJ
EVERYONE at United is delighted with the progress of JJ Gabriel, the teenage attacker who is regarded as one of the most promising members of United’s famous academy.
This season the 14-year-old has been promoted to the Under-18 squad and has already bagged a couple of goals.
But his social media presence has confused some parents over the last 12 months, given United discourage parents from posting footage from games online.
A source said: “Some parents in the past have been spoken to about posting footage on Instagram and Tik Tok etc, but JJ seems to be a different rule.”
He’ll face no such problems now he’s at U18 level as the games are shown on MUTV.
Marcus ‘smiling again’
Despite a difficult couple of years, the majority of staff and players at United are pleased to see Marcus Rashford smiling again on loan at Barcelona.
In fact they have been amazed at how frequently he has been updating his social media platforms to show how happy he is with an almost daily avalanche of pics of him smiling and laughing.
A source said: “It’s nice to see Marcus smiling again. Some of us had forgotten what that looked like.”
