Ruben Amorim Addresses Chelsea’s Sudden Interest in Kobbie Mainoo

Ruben Amorim has responded to the unexpected links between Chelsea and Manchester United’s teenage midfielder, Kobbie Mainoo, emphasizing his desire to keep the young talent at Old Trafford.

Amorim’s Commitment to Mainoo

Amorim made it clear in his latest media conference that he values Mainoo highly and wants to retain the midfielder despite Chelsea’s reported interest.

He stated:
“Yeah, my players are always my favourites. So I really love my players, I want to keep my players, especially the talented ones. It’s a special moment in this club, it’s a hard moment, I am really happy with Kobbie, he is improving, and also with Garna [Alejandro Garnacho].”

Chelsea’s Interest and United’s Stance

The speculation surrounding Mainoo comes as contract negotiations have hit a standstill, with Chelsea linked as potential suitors for a January move. Reports suggest that Chelsea would be willing to pay around £70m for the 19-year-old, who has a contract until 2027 with an additional one-year extension clause.

United’s financial constraints, especially in light of Profit and Sustainability Rules, have led them to reconsider the untouchable status of players, and Mainoo’s status as an academy product who could generate significant profit has only fueled transfer speculation.

Amorim’s Perspective on Squad and Recruitment

When probed about the future direction of squad building, Amorim emphasized:
“The first thing I think I don’t remember saying clearly that I want new players. What I said is sometimes the profile for this system is different and the players came here with a different idea how to play. I don’t remember saying so clearly that I want new players.
“What I said is that we need to improve recruitment when we are targeting players, we need to be sure they will cope with the demands, sometimes you have to bet a little bit. And what I said also is we have to improve our academy, to bring in young kids that feel the club in the right way and with that rules we are able to do some business and to have money to invest in the team.
“Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club but we know the position the club is in at the moment. We will see. But I’m very happy. I really like the players, especially the guys from the academy.”