'He needs to fight for place' - Man Utd reject Mainoo loan request

Kobbie Mainoo has made 73 senior appearances for Manchester United

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has asked to leave Old Trafford on loan.

United have rejected the request, telling the academy graduate they value him and want him to stay and fight for his place.

It remains to be seen whether there are further conversations about the issue before the transfer deadline on Monday.

A number of clubs are known to be interested in him, including Serie A title winners Napoli.

Speaking on Friday, United head coach Ruben Amorim said he wants Mainoo to stay and "fight" for his place.

"I want Kobbie to stay. He needs to fight for his place, and we need Kobbie. So that is not going to change.

"The rest I don't know how it's going to finish. I understand that the players that are not playing in this moment are disappointed, but everyone has the same opportunity to play. You have to fight during the week."

Mainoo, 20, played the full 90 minutes in Wednesday's EFL Cup penalty shootout defeat at Grimsby.

However, he was an unused substitute for both of United's opening Premier League games and Amorim has told him he is fighting for a place with skipper Bruno Fernandes.

The England international has a contract to 2027 but negotiations over an extension have stalled.

It is understood he does not want to leave United permanently but is concerned about the amount of Premier League game time he will get.

'Victim of own success'

It was in Chicago that Amorim first said Mainoo would be in competition with Fernandes this season.

Although he was also keen to stress both men could play in different positions, Amorim clearly feels the pair are best suited to the advanced midfield role in his system, which for Mainoo is a clear problem.

How realistic is it that he can oust the captain from the United side, at least in the short-term?

In truth, Mainoo is a victim of his own success.

The Stockport-born player emerged so quickly and came into a team struggling so often, he was almost a totem.

Yet the fabulous end to the 2023-24 campaign masked positional deficiencies in Mainoo's game that were apparent as United's midfield was routinely overrun. At the Euros, he had Declan Rice covering him.

As last season began Mainoo's confidence and form dipped, and he was injured when Erik ten Hag was sacked and Amorim took his place.

Mainoo was prominent in Amorim's starting line-ups from December onwards, but that meant he was involved in a string of damaging defeats.

He was injured again in February and, by the time he returned, Amorim was targeting the Europa League - meaning his only starts to the end of the season were in the Premier League. Three of those games were lost, the other, at Bournemouth, was a draw.

It was against that backdrop Amorim made his summer call on Mainoo.

He feels the competition for places will help his side and the midfielder, who he says boasts quick feet, an excellent passing range and invaluable speed in tight spaces, will benefit.

Evidently, Mainoo feels the evidence of the opening two league games only points to extended spells on the sidelines, frustration and stunted progress.

Those concerns have been heightened by the loss at Grimsby, which, coupled with a failure to qualify for European competition this season, means United will only play in the league until their FA Cup campaign starts in January.

Mainoo has made 16 starts in 45 games since Amorim was appointed in November.

He burst into the United side under Ten Hag two years ago, capping his domestic season by scoring in the FA Cup final victory against Manchester City.

He went on to start for England in their Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain.

However, he missed 17 games last season with a couple of separate muscular injuries and is yet to be included in an England squad under new boss Thomas Tuchel.