Man Utd: Mainoo transfer ‘99%’ done as Amorim, INEOS ‘at odds’ over another January transfer

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·9 December 2025

Man Utd: Mainoo transfer ‘99%’ done as Amorim, INEOS ‘at odds’ over another January transfer

According to reports, a deal for Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo is “99%” done ahead of next month’s transfer window.

Mainoo has endured a nightmare 18 months at Man Utd as he has fallen in the pecking order under head coach Ruben Amorim.

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United‘s academy product established himself as one of the best young midfielders in Europe in 2023/24 as he shone for club and country, but he has had a remarkable fall from grace as he nears an exit ahead of January.

Amorim is clearly not a fan of the centre-midfielder as he prefers Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro, with the England international restricted to brief cameos off the bench at best.

Therefore, Mainoo requested an exit in the summer as he eyed a loan move to Napoli, though Man Utd denied this as they did not want to leave themselves short of options in midfield.

However, a recent report claimed Man Utd would be more open to letting Mainoo in January if they can acquire a suitable replacement.

In recent months, Mainoo has been linked with several Premier League clubs, but Napoli remain a contender to sign him.

Now, journalist Luca Cerchione claims Napoli assistant manager Cristian Stellini has made it clear that the Man Utd player’s move to the Serie A giants is already “99%” done.

Cerchione 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.”

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Netherlands international Joshua Zirkzee is in a similar situation as he also needs to leave Man Utd in January if he’s to give himself a better chance of playing for his country at the World Cup.

Zirkzee has not taken his chance when given the chance to play this season and Amorim has preferred to select Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha.

Despite this, a report from journalist Fraser Fletcher for our pals at TEAMtalk explains why Amorim and INEOS are ‘at odds’ over letting Zirkzee leave next month.

The report claims:

‘As the January transfer window looms, Manchester United striker Joshua Zirkzee remains a hot commodity, with the club open to his sale even as Ruben Amorim integrates the Dutchman more prominently into his plans. ‘Sources indicate United’s stance hasn’t fully hardened. Despite Amorim’s reluctance to offload Zirkzee, praising his versatility across forward roles and viewing him as squad depth – especially with Benjamin Sesko sidelined by a knee injury – the club is prioritising the Slovenian’s development as their long-term No. 9.’