Tottenham star backs Mainoo to hit ‘high level’ with Man Utd exit expected | OneFootball

Tottenham star James Maddison has backed Kobbie Mainoo to “get back to a really high level” amid his struggle for minutes at Manchester United.

Mainoo’s struggles for minutes have been well documented this season. In the Premier League, he’s played just 183 minutes and is yet to start a game.

Ruben Amorim insists he sees him as a starter, though that’s hard to believe given the circumstances.

In United‘s last game, a 4-1 win over Wolves, Mainoo came on off the bench for the final 12 minutes, and in the Sky Sports studio was Tottenham midfielder Maddison.

The 29-year-old suggested Mainoo will come good again.

Maddison said: “Yeah, definitely. It wasn’t that long ago he was starting in the Euros for England. I remember Kobbie’s first start for England was a game I came on as a sub in and I was very impressed with how composed he was and the occasion just didn’t get to him at all.

“He is good on the ball and calm. A player with that much quality and assurance on the ball, I don’t see any way how he doesn’t get back to a really high level.”

Tottenham, where Maddison plies his trade, are one of a number of big clubs who have been linked with Mainoo’s capture of late.

Alongside them in the Premier League are Chelsea, where Paul Scholes feels Mainoo could and probably should move if the opportunity arises.

A report of late suggested there were as many as 12 sides interested in taking the United midfielder on board in January, though the club’s stance has been that he’s not for sale.

That could be changing though, with a report suggesting Mainoo’s exit from United is “99 per cent done.”

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That report comes from Italian journalist Luca Cerchione, who claims it originated close to Napoli’s assistant manager, Cristian Stellini.

The journalist said: “In the past few days, I received a phone call from a friend of Mr. Stellini, who informed me that he had learned that there had been a significant acceleration in the sale of Mainoo, even talking about percentages close to 99.

“Naturally, the person who gave me this transfer rumour didn’t cite Stellini as his source.”

If a Napoli transfer is to happen, Mainoo would link up with former United midfielder Scott McTominay, who was the best player in Italy last season after leaving Old Trafford.