Manchester United are reportedly prepared to sign two midfielders in the months ahead, with Kobbie Mainoo now unlikely to leave in January
Manchester United are reportedly set to overhaul their midfield in the coming months in a move that could impact Kobbie Mainoo’s future at the club. As the January transfer window looms, speculation is rife about potential deals involving Premier League clubs.
Various reports have claimed that United could be active in the New Year’s transfer window, with their midfield being widely discussed as an area requiring reinforcement.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleba was strongly linked with a move to Old Trafford during the summer transfer window, with the Seagulls reportedly valuing the midfielder at over £100million earlier this year.
Elliot Anderson of Nottingham Forest and Adam Wharton of Crystal Palace are two other players who have been linked with United in recent months. The Sun has reported that United are ready to sign two midfielders in the summer transfer window, meaning Mainoo will likely stay put.
There were rumours United were ready to sign a new midfielder to come in over the top of Mainoo in January but those plans now seem like they will be delayed until the summer.
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The England international has attracted serious interest himself and was claimed to want a January loan move for regular minutes. However, with Bruno Fernandes out injured and United planning to bolster their midfield at the end of the season, any hopes of a move have been dashed.
Mainoo has been the subject of intense speculation regarding a potential departure from United in recent months, with the 20-year-old reportedly seeking increased playing time after spending considerable periods on the substitutes’ bench this campaign.
Ruben Amorim is yet to give Mainoo a Premier League start this season, though the England star has featured 11 times from the bench in the league, reports the Mirror.
United endured a 2-1 loss against Aston Villa in the Premier League on Sunday, with Mainoo unavailable due to a calf problem. Following the defeat to Villa, Amorim confirmed that he expects Fernandes to miss United’s upcoming fixtures after the club captain picked up a hamstring injury at the weekend, presenting Mainoo with a chance for more game time.
“It’s a soft tissue, I think he’s [Fernandes] going to lose some games, I don’t know for sure. Let’s see,” Amorim said.
“I don’t know. I don’t want to talk about matters you can’t control. He is a guy who is always fit so he might recover quite well.
“I think Kobbie might be out [against Newcastle], Bruno is out, so we will see, we are going to find solutions, no excuses, we need to win the next game and we will try to win the next game.”
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