United Beyond Manchester

According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea is leading the race to sign Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United if the 19-year-old decides to leave the club in search of a better contract. Current negotiations between United and Mainoo have stalled, leading to rumors of a possible exit.

While Manchester United does need to offload players to comply with profit and sustainability rules, other players are higher on the chopping block list. United are actively working on deals to sell or loan Casemiro, Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Victor Lindelof. Christian Eriksen will also leave the club in the summer. Not only will these moves help with the PFF rules, but they would make a new contract for their prized youngster easier to navigate and finalize.

Kobbie Mainoo is United through and through. The Stockport native has been at the club since he was nine after signing on at age seven. He worked through the youth system and earned his first-team debut against Charlton Athletic in January 2023. Since his debut, Mainoo has starred for United, scoring massive goals for the club against Liverpool and Manchester City last season. Under Ruben Amorim, the 19-year-old is forming a strong bond with Manuel Ugarte, and that pairing is seen as the future of the United midfield.

Unless something disastrous happens in future negotiating, Kobbie Mainoo and Manchester United will come to an agreement. The club has shown no indication that it wants to sell the player, and Mainoo has shown no sign that he wants out of Old Trafford.

It would be outrageous for Manchester United to sell a player destined for superstardom to a direct rival. If the club did sell Mainoo, it would not be to Chelsea or any other Premier League outfit.

The last time United sold a player to a Big Six team was Henrikh Mkhitaryan in 2018, and that deal was a swap with Alexis Sanchez headed to Old Trafford. The last time Manchester United sold a player directly to Chelsea was the 2003/2004 season when Juan Sebastian Veron headed to Stamford Bridge for €21.8 million.

The most likely scenario for Kobbie Mainoo is that he and the club come to an agreement in the coming months over a new contract. After all, he does still have two-and-a-half years remaining on his current deal. If, for whatever reason, the club decides to sell him now or this summer, the odds of Chelsea being the destination are near zero.