Tottenham are reportedly keeping close tabs on one of Manchester United’s brightest talents amid a fresh round of talks with Rúben Amorim.
Rúben Amorim is having to deal with a number of unwanted consequences after losing the Europa League final to Tottenham Hotspur at the end of last season.
The fallout of the defeat in Bilbao last May has led to Manchester United not playing any form of European football for the 2025/26 campaign, leaving the club with just one fixture per week after their Carabao Cup exit in August.
While there are various financial implications for a lack of European football, it is also causing problems in the dressing room with some of United’s current fringe or bench players.
According to reports, Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee are both pondering exits from the club this January, either on loan or permanently, to secure game-time ahead of the World Cup.
Mainoo to Tottenham becoming ‘one to watch’
In the final week of the summer transfer window, Mainoo handed in multiple requests to leave the club on loan to secure minutes this season, but made it clear he had no intention of cutting permanent ties with United.
His request was repeatedly blocked, but according to various reports, the player looks set to make the same request once the January window opens.
Journalist Marc Brus has detailed that Mainoo’s possibility of leaving in January is ‘one to watch’ with Tottenham among other English sides, keeping a close eye on the developing scenario amid talks with Amorim in recent weeks.
“’Kobbie Mainoo wanted to leave in the summer but United blocked it,’ my source said,” claims Brus. “This will be one to watch again in January because he’s still not playing and interested clubs are still there.
“Multiple sources have confirmed it to me that Napoli are big admirers of Mainoo, and that the Serie A champions have done the most work on the player’s side for that potential deal.
“There’ll be Premier League interest as well, though, from Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle and Leeds, all monitoring him in recent months.”
Mainoo’s preferred destination appears to be Napoli
According to other reports, United have already concluded that they do not want to let Mainoo leave in January despite the player’s clear desire to play football. However, it has been noted elsewhere that the English talent would be keen to head to Italy.
During the summer, Serie A club Napoli were the most eager to agree a deal for Mainoo, amid negotiations with United that saw Rasmus Højlund move to the Italian side.
MailSport report that Napoli was also Mainoo’s preferred destination at the time, partly because his former teammates Højlund and Scott McTominay, along with ex-Manchester City star Kevin De Bruyne, had already settled there.
It’s further suggested that if Amorim stays at United until January and Napoli remain his favoured option, Mainoo could once again request to leave on loan for the rest of the season, with Napoli still his likely first choice.
There have been reports from Spain that the “amazing” star is seen by Barcelona as a possible replacement for the injured Gavi in January.
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