Kobbie Mainoo makes shock Man Utd transfer decision amid Chelsea interest

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is expected to reject a new contract at his boyhood club to prioritise a transfer abroad, according to a report.

Mainoo has been sidelined for the past month with a calf issue but has already established himself as a key part of United’s first team despite his tender years. The 19-year-old who was born in Stockport has amassed ten senior England caps and scored in last summer’s triumphant FA Cup final.

However, despite his status as an undisputed favourite of the fans and various United coaches, Mainoo’s future has been decidedly uncertain for months. In the club’s continued drive to raise revenue, selling the team’s academy graduates offers a quick route to masses of pure profit.

The prodigious midfielder was thought to be available for sale in the January transfer window and attracted admiring glances from Chelsea in particular, but no one was willing to meet his £70m price tag.

United had resolved to keep Mainoo and are reportedly preparing a new contract offer. But the teenager isn’t on the same page. The Guardian report that Mainoo is expected to reject United’s incoming proposal and has his heart set on “a move abroad”. No foreign club was named.

Mainoo is currently one of the United’s lowest earners on £20,000 per week and was thought to be pushing for a weekly salary closer to £180,000. The Red Devils are described as “hopeful” that a new deal can still be struck.

If United are forced to sell their homegrown asset, they would reinstate an asking price of £70m for any suitor, even though Mainoo will have just two years left on his existing contract by the summer.

Head coach Ruben Amorim has previously stressed his desire to keep Mainoo, hailing the midfielder’s “special” talent and ability to play closer to goal. Whether the Portuguese coach will have the final say over the teenager’s future remains to be seen.