Manchester United are set to reject bids to buy Kobbie Mainoo in January, as a new formation could see the midfielder feature much more regularly.
Despite featuring fairly frequently under Rúben Amorim last season, Kobbie Mainoo hasn’t been given the same minutes this campaign, having not started a single game this season, picking up just 183 minutes from 10 substitute appearances.
Although the 20-year-old’s talent is there for all to see, Amorim has preferred to deploy Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro in a double pivot, which, although it has brought varying levels of success, is not a long-term partnership.
Casemiro’s contract expires at the end of this Premier League season, and a renewal does not look likely. Manchester United captain Fernandes could also be set for an exit in the summer. With United set for a midfield revamp next summer, the club are reportedly ‘ready to sell’ him to fund midfield signings.
Ahead of the World Cup in the summer, Mainoo will be desperate for game time to stand the greatest chance of being picked by Thomas Tuchel, but his boyhood club are set to reject a permanent sale of the 20-year-old.
Mainoo not for sale
The Reds are currently on a run of one league defeat out of their last nine fixtures, the best run of Amorim’s tenure so far, so Amorim could be vindicated by his current tactics and selection.
Despite this, losing Mainoo could be a decision that the club could come to regret in years to come.
As reported by The Guardian, however, United intend to reject any bids to buy the midfielder in January, with the hierarchy believing that the 20-year-old could have a bright future at the club.
Amorim is, however, open to letting Mainoo leave on loan for the second half of the season, with the view from those within the club being that the midfielder’s youth and potential mean his ceiling remains high and could convince Amorim or a future United coach that he is worth a regular starting place in the side.
The Portuguese coach has said in the past that no player is fully frozen out of the squad, claiming that any out-of-favour player can win a place in his starting 11 through performances in training.
Mainoo could benefit from potential new formation
After the club’s statistical worst start to a Premier League campaign, many were questioning Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 tactical setup and were urging him to try something new.
Despite all the noise, Amorim maintained that the system is not the issue, with some even saying that this stubbornness would be his ‘downfall’.
However, with the African Cup of Nations starting soon, and with the club losing Amad, Bryan Mbeumo and Noussair Mazraoui for up to five weeks, Amorim looks set to ditch his 3-4-2-1 setup to experiment with a new 4-3-3 formation.
This new tactical setup, which may be seen against Bournemouth, could be the lifeline that Mainoo needs. Playing an extra midfielder and dropping a forward could allow Mainoo to thrive in a midfield three alongside Fernandes and Casemiro.
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