Amorim hints £39m Man Utd star is not good enough, won't be starting vs Wolves

Manchester United played out a frustrating 1-1 draw against West Ham United in the Premier League yesterday.

The Red Devils lacked the cutting edge in the final third and eventually paid the price for some poor defending.

Speaking after the game, manager Ruben Amorim was asked why Kobbie Mainoo was not brought on from the bench, and whether that might be a little demoralising for the Red Devils graduate.

In response, the Portuguese tactician said he was trying to put the best players on the pitch and hinted that Mainoo is essentially a back-up for captain Bruno Fernandes in the number eight role.

He told Manutd.com: “I see it. I see it and I just want to win. I try to put the players. I don’t look who it is. I don’t care about that.

“I’m just trying to put the best players on the pitch. You have [Manuel] Ugarte that played two games.

“One of them, Case [Casemiro] was out. Bruno [Fernandes] is always fit [and] is the guy that is doing his position. So maybe it has to do with that.”

Judging by Amorim’s comments, Mainoo is unlikely to make his first league start of the campaign against Wolverhampton Wanderers at the Molineux Stadium on Monday night.

Mainoo could be loaned out in January

The England international had a fantastic debut campaign under former manager Erik ten Hag. He scored the winning goal during the 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City.

However, his second season was a mixed bag. Earlier this year, Amorim highlighted that Mainoo is better in an offensive midfield position where he does not need to defend.

With the arrivals of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo last summer, Fernandes has been deployed in the number eight role, which has further hampered Mainoo.

The £39 million-rated ace can’t get into the starting XI, as things stand.

Amorim has publicly admitted that he sees Mainoo as a deputy to Fernandes. With Fernandes often playing 90 minutes, Mainoo has hardly had the chance to prove his credentials.

It is unsurprising that Mainoo is eyeing a loan move in January. He is ‘deeply frustrated’ by his situation.

With Mbeumo and Amad Diallo due to report for Africa Cup of Nations duty this month, United are prepared to wait for their returns in January before making a decision.

A temporary exit for Mainoo until the summer would guarantee him minutes before a possible big-money transfer. The loan stint could help in increasing his valuation.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .