Amorim drops HUGE Man Utd exit revelation as sources reveal stance on January sale

Ruben Amorim has admitted he expects Kobbie Mainoo to knock on his door and ask to leave Manchester United in January, with the manager also revealing for the first time his own plans to bring in new players during the winter window.

The 10-times capped England midfielder broke into the Manchester United side under the watchful guidance of Erik ten Hag, quickly becoming a fans’ favourite and having scored a decisive goal in their FA Cup final win over Manchester City in 2024.

Mainoo‘s fortunes, though, have declined rapidly since Amorim’s appointment by United a year ago to the day, with the midfielder struggling to find a place in the Portuguese’s rigid 3-4-2-1 formation.

And with his fortunes no better since seeing a summer exit request blocked, Amorim has now revealed that he is fully expecting the 20-year-old to seek a move away in January and with his World Cup place now in serious jeopardy.

With just 138 minutes of Premier League action, all off the bench, to his name, Amorim says the club’s failure to qualify for Europe this season is a major factor in the player’s struggles for game-time.

“We need to go to Europe. Because of everything our club needs to be in Europe,” Amorim said.

“Kobbie Mainoo, with the minutes he’s playing, needs more games for me to make a rotation. With one game, it’s really hard.”

Amorim is anticipating that Mainoo, along with other sparingly used stars, such as Joshua Zirkzee, will likely ask to leave in a quest to secure more regular football and with the 2026 World Cup on the horizon.

Amorim said: “A lot of things can happen, even in our club.

“And you know that we have the World Cup, some players are not playing, they will ask to leave.

“So I have to manage everything.

“And then we want to bring players, everyone here, we want to bring players that we can see a big future in Manchester United.

“We are not just buying one guy, because now we feel in December that we need this kind of player for now.

“No, it’s going to be we want to buy players that we know we are not going to change a lot of times. So that is our idea.

“So I don’t know what is going to happen, but of course, we think about how we can improve the team.

“And in January, the window is open, we can do something.”

Despite Amorim’s admission, sources have told our transfer correspondent, Fraser Fletcher, that United have no intentions of sanctioning Mainoo’s exit in January, even if that means killing his dreams of featuring at the 2026 World Cup finals….

DON’T MISS 🔴⚫ The dream Man Utd XI this time next year as Amorim celebrates anniversary in charge

United ready to BLOCK Mainoo exit request

Despite interest from several Premier League and overseas clubs in his services, Fletcher expects United to ignore Mainoo’s wishes to leave, stressing that they do expect to rely on him over the course of the season.

Sources close to the player say he is “deeply frustrated,” fearing stagnation could cost him a place in Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the North America-hosted tournament.

“Kobbie knows he needs consistent football to develop and stay in the England picture,” one insider revealed.

“Sitting on the bench at United won’t help his cause.”

Fletcher explains that Amorim views Mainoo as vital cover in a midfield plagued by injuries and inconsistency and that the Portuguese tactician is unwilling to weaken his options mid-season, even temporarily.

This stance has left Mainoo in limbo, with a loan now looking increasingly unlikely.

Tottenham, Newcastle, Manchester City, Brentford, West Ham and Napoli are among the clubs Fletcher states are keen on the midfielder.

Amorim has also used the example of Casemiro to prove that careers at Old Trafford can be revived with a positive attitude and mindset.

“First of all, they understand, I prove that anyone can play, and everyone has to do the same things,” he added. “Not in the same way, but there are some things that everyone, no matter what is your name, you have to do it to play for Manchester United.

“I try to explain all the time to the players that we are not just playing today, not just this year, but then the next seasons. So they feel that they are part of the journey, and that we are part of something bigger than just one game or one season. So they are part of our path.

“Then I show also to them that Casemiro was not part of the starting XI. He was behind and then he fought. He won the place, and if you win the place, you will be playing.

“So I think that helped them to understand that I’m trying to be fair, and they are part of something very special that is very important to us.”

Latest Man Utd news: Vivell a huge fan of wonderkid; Tottenham raid tipped

United will be hoping to extend their winning run to four games on Saturday when they tackle Nottingham Forest at the City Ground.

And ahead of that meeting, Amorim has hit back at previous claims made by Sean Dyche that now make the gravel-toned 54-year-old look a little bit silly.

Meanwhile, United are understood to be ‘extensively scouting’ one of French football’s midfield wonderkids, and with talks being held among club chiefs over a possible move, sources have revealed the chances of a January approach on the Ligue 1 club.

Finally, former United winger Nani has named a current Tottenham Hotspur loan star who fits into his old club’s ‘DNA’, amid talk of a potential hijack of the north London club’s permanent move for the player.

Click here to read article