Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has been linked with a January exit from Old Trafford with Serie A side Napoli emerging as potential suitors for the Red Devils academy graduate
Napoli are stepping up their search for a new midfielder amid links with Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo. The Italian side are reportedly one of a number of clubs interested in Mainoo following a frustrating season.
After previously playing a consistent role in the first team under Erik ten Hag, Mainoo has not had the same opportunities this term under Ruben Amorim. The young midfielder has made just seven Premier League appearances this term, with all of them coming as a substitute.
A deart of game time - combined with having just 18 months left on his contract - have led to suggestions that he could soon leave Old Trafford. Scott McTominay has reportedly been one of those attempting to convince Napoli to make a move, with the Italian club’s need for a midfielder having worsened over recent days.
Current star Frank Zambo Anguissa looks set to be restricted to the sidelines for the foreseeable future, which has seen Napoli step up their search. A statement read: “Frank Anguissa, who sustained an injury while on international duty, underwent medical tests on Thursday at Pineta Grande Hospital which revealed a high-grade lesion to the biceps femoris in his left thigh. The Napoli midfielder has already begun his rehabilitation programme.”
According to Italian outlet Sport Mediaset, Mainoo is one of two options currently on the table. It is suggested that Udinese star Atta is also among those under consideration, albeit he could command a €20m (£17.6m) price tag.
Napoli’s fresh links to Mainoo come amid suggestions from former United star Dimitar Berbatov that Amorim’s treatment of the midfielder is ‘cruel’. Speaking to the Daily Mail, the Bulgarian said: "It's a very tough situation, especially for a young player.
“And it shows you how football can be a really cruel game at times because Kobbie Mainoo was playing, he reached the England national team, he was going up, up, and up. All of a sudden he is not being picked.
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"Now the question is, does he stay positive, patient, and wait for his moment again? Or he needs to move to a different place to play regularly to get his confidence back and come back to United and start playing more regularly?
"I'd like to see him play because the talent is there to see, that decision-making, that calmness and arrogance which you need with the ball at your feet is there, even at his age. I like that. But at the moment, the manager doesn't see something he can use from the first minute of the game."