Manchester United midfielder Koby Mainu will still have suitors as his future at Old Trafford remains in some doubt this January.
As I reported in today’s Daily Briefing, Mainu was close to leaving Man United in the summer, with Napoli showing strong interest in the England international.
At the time, the Red Devils prevented Mainu from leaving as Ruben Amorim wanted to keep him as another option in the team.
However, things did not go as expected and Mainu did not receive support from Amorim and remains keen to leave the club, at least on loan.
Manchester United face headache over Koby Mainu transfer
But one of United’s problems with letting Maynou go in January is that some of their preferred midfield targets will not be available.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleva is also high on the list and keen to join, but the Seagulls have no intention of letting the 21-year-old go midway through the season.
The same goes for Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton, so it remains to be seen how MUFC will deal with this issue.
However, Mainu is likely to need to be replaced, so work could be done between now and January to find a solution.
Should Amorim bring Mainu back to United?
Most United fans will no doubt be disappointed to see Mainu struggling to earn playing time under Amorim at the moment.
The 20-year-old looked like a big talent when he first broke into United’s first team under former manager Erik ten Hag, but the current squad looks weak in midfield.
Mainu is certainly a player who still has a lot to offer at the top level and United may regret it for the rest of their lives if they decide to let him go, as he could strengthen one of their main rivals.