Kobbie Mainoo will tell Manchester United he is still desperate to leave the club before the summer transfer window closes despite being told he must stay and fight for his place.
The England international played the full 90 minutes in Wednesday’s harrowing Carabao Cup defeat to Grimsby Town but has been an unused substitute in United’s opening two matches of the new Premier League season against Arsenal and Fulham.
Amorim revealed last week Mainoo is now in direct competition with Bruno Fernandes for one midfield role.
Given Fernandes wears the captain’s armband and has been virtually undroppable since arriving in Manchester, it suggests Mainoo’s chances will likely come off the bench.
Mainoo is desperate to be part of the England squad for next summer’s World Cup with his situation at United posing a threat to that – left out of Thomas Tuchel’s latest squad on Friday for upcoming qualifiers.
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Mainoo has spoken to United and asked to leave the club on loan to secure regular first-team football this season.
The club have rejected his pleas, urging him to stay and fight for his place as they would need to sign a replacement were he to move on.
Mainoo’s future is one of a number of issues United are trying to address this week with Amorim telling reporters on Friday: ‘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.’
But despite his manager’s comments, Mainoo is still trying to force through a loan move in the final days of the transfer window, the Daily Mail report.
Despite reports claiming there is interest in a permanent switch to Napoli, it is suggested Mainoo is not prepared to cut ties with his boyhood club permanently.
With just three days of the summer transfer window remaining, United are still trying to offload Antony and Jadon Sancho with Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund poised to leave the club for Chelsea and Napoli.
