Paul Scholes tells £80m Manchester United 'superstar' to join Chelsea | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim continues to use midfielder sporadically this season

Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt have urged Manchester United outcast Kobbie Mainoo to join Premier League rivals Chelsea.

Mainoo was one of the breakout stars of 2024 and started for England in the Euro 2024 final defeat to Spain.

The United midfielder has, however, seen his minutes limited since Ruben Amorim arrived at the club last November.

The 20-year-old is yet to start a league game for United this season, and a move away from the club is becoming increasingly likely.

Mainoo stayed at United despite interest in the summer, but he is now said to be frustrated by a lack of game time and is desperate to leave in January.

Chelsea, who explored a move for the United academy graduate in the summer, are among the clubs credited with an interest in Mainoo.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, United legend Scholes, who made over 700 appearances for the Red Devils, said he did not understand why the club was allowing Amorim to treat Mainoo the way he has.

“Ruben Amorim has said Kobbie Mainoo is a starter… every appearance he’s made in the Premier League has been as a sub. Things like that wind me up,” Scholes said.

“I wouldn’t mind if he was in a good team and they were winning every week and keeping possession, but they’re rubbish.

“Kobbie is a 20-year-old kid, and he’s not playing; he’s going to have to leave. Do you know what will happen now? Amorim will bring him into a game, and he won’t be great, but that’s because he needs regular games.

“Fair enough, as a manager, sometimes you just don’t fancy a player. But look at what he’s already done – scored the winner in an FA Cup final, played every game in the Euros.

Kobbie Mainoo has fallen down the pecking order

Manchester United via Getty Imag

Scholes’ former team-mate and fellow United legend Butt added that Chelsea, who signed Alejandro Garnacho from United last summer, could swoop in to sign Mainoo.

“’The Kobbie’ one is an absolute joke,” Butt said. “I went to the West Ham game [a 1-1 draw at Old Trafford] and it was an absolute s***show. It was a terrible, boring game.

“The player to bring on to change the game, in my opinion, was Kobbie Mainoo – but he didn’t get on the pitch. He’ll be another homegrown player who leaves and is a superstar somewhere else.

“If Mainoo was playing for another Premier League club, United go and buy him for £70m or £80m. Now we’re going to sell him, and he’ll be a superstar elsewhere like McTominay, Elanga, Henderson – we can mention loads of them.

“We’re getting rid of players who love the football club, it’s mind-boggling. I get the Garnacho one because his attitude and behaviour was terrible, but you don’t hear that about Kobbie.

“He’s a top, top, top player that we are f****** up. Kobbie has got to go. If I’m looking after him, I’m telling him, ‘we’re getting you out of that football club’.

“For his football career, he has to leave United; he’s lost 18 months of development. I hope he goes abroad because it’s embarrassing if he goes to Chelsea, which could happen.

“They might go and get him because they are putting together a very good, young squad and keep buying young players. He could quite easily end up at Chelsea next season.

“I’ve known Kobbie since he was eight, but you wouldn’t be doing him justice if you told him to stay and not to take that move. That’s such a sad thing for me to say.”

Scholes added that if he were advising Mainoo, he would also tell him to go to Chelsea, who have developed a reputation for giving opportunities to young players.

“If he rang me and said ‘look, Chelsea are interested, what do you think?’ I’d say ‘go all day long’.”