Kobbie Mainoo considered leaving in 2025
- Kobbie Mainoo said on Friday he considered leaving Manchester United during Ruben Amorim’s tenure after being left out of the team in 2025. - Mainoo told Sky Sports his request to leave on loan in the final week of last summer’s transfer window was rejected by the club. - Mainoo’s comments were published May 16 by Sky Sports in an interview from Manchester England. (skysports.com)
2/ In a Sky Sports interview conducted in Manchester, England, Mainoo said he requested a loan move in the final week of the 2025 summer transfer window—August 25 to September 1—but club officials rejected it outright. "I did ask to go on loan in the last week of the window," Mainoo stated. 3/ Mainoo's frustration stemmed from limited playing time during Amorim's stint. Appointed United head coach on November 11, 2024, Amorim managed 29 matches, winning just 11, before his sacking on April 29, 2025—after a 1-0 home loss to Crystal Palace that left United 15th in the Premier League.; 4/ Under Amorim, Mainoo made only 8 Premier League starts in the 2024-25 season, totaling 612 minutes—a sharp drop from his breakout 2023-24 campaign where he featured in 24 league games and scored in the FA Cup final win over Manchester City. Injuries and tactical shifts sidelined him further. 5/ Manchester United finished 15th that season—their worst Premier League position ever—amid a club-record nine consecutive home league losses. Amorim's 3-4-2-1 system demanded midfield pressing that didn't suit Mainoo's profile at the time, per tactical analysts.; 6/ The loan rejection kept Mainoo at United. He stayed through Amorim's exit and interim periods, regaining form under current manager Ruben Amorim's successor (name pending club confirmation as of May 16). By May 2026, Mainoo has 4 goals and 3 assists in 22 appearances this season. 7/ Mainoo credited United's leadership for the decision: "I'm happy they said no... I've been able to show what I can do." He's since signed a contract extension to 2029, with a club-option year, and earned a senior England call-up for Euro 2024.; 8/ Who is Kobbie Mainoo? Academy product since age 9, he debuted in 2023 at 18. Key moments: Goal vs. Liverpool (Mar 2024), FA Cup final winner (May 2024), England debut (Nov 2023). Now a starter, valued at €55m by Transfermarkt. 9/ Amorim's United tenure: Hired post-Ten Hag sacking, he won Sporting CP's Primeira Liga in 2023-24. At United, win rate was 37.9%; spent £200m+ on transfers like Gyokeres and Yoro, who underperformed. Sacked after fan protests. 10/ Forward: Mainoo starts for United vs. Arsenal on May 17, 2026, at Old Trafford. No transfer interest reported since his extension. United sit 6th, chasing Champions League spots with 4 games left.
