Amorim comes clean on Kobbie Mainoo Chelsea transfer links as Man Utd boss reverses new arrivals ‘demand’

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has made it clear he wants to keep Kobbie Mainoo at Old Trafford in the wake of strong speculation linking the midfielder with Chelsea – and with TEAMtalk sources making it clear why a move to Stamford Bridge looks extremely difficult for the Blues to pull off.

Mainoo is currently locked in negotiations with Manchester United over a much-needed pay-hike at Old Trafford, with the £20,000 a week deal the 19-year-old currently earns some serious distance short of what a player of his stature should be on. But while Sir Jim Ratcliffe knows the days of the high-end earning £300,000 a week-plus enjoyed by the likes of Casemiro and Marcus Rashford are no more, there appears some distance between what United are prepared to pay Mainoo and what the player himself wants.

Indeed, some reports claim Mainoo is seeking a pay packet worth some £200,000 a week at Old Trafford – speculation that TEAMtalk can deny – thus leading to some strong speculation that an exit cannot be ruled out.

To that end, several strong sources, including the Daily Mail’s Chris Wheeler and The Athletic’s Laurie Whitwell, have claimed this week that Chelsea are positioning themselves right at the front of the queue for Mainoo, should United be forced into his sale and amid claims the teenager could be sacrificed to help fund the club’s rebuilding plans under new boss Amorim.

However, Amorim denies now that he has made ‘demands’ to club bosses over new deals and has had his say on those Mainoo to Chelsea links.

“The first thing, I think, I don’t remember saying that I clearly want new players,” Amorim told the media.

“Players can come here with a different idea [of] how to play. I don’t remember saying so clearly that I want new players. We need to improve recruitment. We have to improve the academy to bring young kids [through] that feel the club in the right way.

“Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club. But we know the position that this club is in at this moment. I really like our players, especially from our academy.

“Our idea is always to keep our best players but we also know that it is a difficult situation for the club, a hard moment.”

On speculation over Mainoo, he added: “I am really happy with Kobbie – he is improving all the time.

“My players are always my favourite players and I always like to keep them – especially the talented ones.”

READ MORE 🔴 Mainoo stance on Chelsea transfer revealed as Man Utd target Juventus star as quality replacement

What next for Kobbie Mainoo as Chelsea talk is debunked

Speculation that has suggested that were United forced to cash in on their teenage midfielder, they would set clubs a minimum price tag of £70m.

And while Chelsea’s admiration for Mainoo – who has already won 10 caps for England – comes as no real surprise given any side in the Premier League would love to have the teenager on their books, speculation of an exit away from Old Trafford can be played down – for the time being at the very least.

That’s after sources told TEAMtalk that, while the Blues are indeed monitoring his situation, Mainoo and United may not be quite as far away from an agreement as has been speculated.

Furthermore, we can also downplay claims that the 19-year-old is asking the club for a salary in the region of £200,000 a week. And while he is in talks over a much-deserved pay rise, there is optimism that an agreement can be reached on a figure some distance lower than that.

In addition, it’s also understood that Mainoo’s priority remains on signing an extension at United before negotiating a possible move to Stamford Bridge.

And even if a controversial sale were to be approved, we understand that would not happen until the summer at least, and with his exit only seen as a last resort.

But given he has a contract until 2027, with an additional year’s option, time remains on United’s side to negotiate the terms they feel are right and proper for a player of his standing. Talks at this stage also remain amicable.

The lack of panic from the United end is also mirrored by Fabrizio Romano in a recent update.

“What I can tell you, is many of your messages are about this Chelsea story, I think it’s absolutely normal for all top clubs in the world – Chelsea for sure – but also many others to appreciate a player like Kobbie Mainoo,” he said on his YouTube channel.

“How can you not love a talent like Kobbie Mainoo? A guy who was in the academy one year ago, then a fantastic rise with Man United, Euros – don’t forget what this boy did for the English national team as a kid. So, it’s absolutely normal to fall in love with Kobbie Mainoo, especially if you’re an English club.

“But, that’s it at the moment. My headline is not ‘Chelsea like Kobbie Mainoo’ because that’s absolutely obvious and normal.

“But, the point here for Manchester United is that there are no negotiations with any other club, no bid on the table, the situation is completely quiet. The player is under contract till 2027 plus an option until 2028. So it’s not a desperate situation for Manchester United.”

Latest Man Utd transfer news: Ratcliffe signs off triple exit

While Mainoo looks an improbable sale this month, the Red Devils are working hard on offloading three other high-paid players, with Sir Jim Ratcliffe pushing club chiefs to finalise exits for all of Marcus Rashford, Antony and Casemiro this month.

The departure of all three stars could save over £600,000 a week for now and potentially close to £900,000 in the long term, with updates on where the trio could all end up this month coming to light.

Meanwhile, Joshua Zirkzee has reportedly performed a U-turn on his apparent push to leave Old Trafford this month.

The Netherlands star has cut a miserable figure this season and was recently reduced to tears after a humiliating early substitution against Newcastle – prompting him to ask his agent about an immediate exit.

While Juventus have since been linked with a move and a return to Bologna also a possibility, the latest reports from Italy claim Zirkzee has now performed a U-turn and decided on another plan of action.

And finally, while Como’s apparent interest in Rashford has fallen short, they could strike it lucky with a move for a second United star, having been strongly linked with a move for a rarely-seen defender.

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