West Ham call Man Utd for TWO January deals, as Amorim tells board best decision to make | OneFootball

West Ham have put calls into Manchester United regarding two swoops in January, and sources have detailed what decision Ruben Amorim wants his club to make on each player.

West Ham need all the help they can get right now to simply avoid relegation. Nuno Espirito Santo has been drafted in to help steer the club to safety. Yet there’s been no new-manager bounce thus far, with the Portuguese overseeing one draw and three defeats in his first four matches.

Their mark of 20 goals conceded is the worst in the league, and the picture is far from healthy at the other end of the pitch too.

West Ham have scored just seven times in nine matches and the club are seeking attacking reinforcements from Man Utd in January.

Their interest in Joshua Zirkzee is well known, and according to the latest from Fabrizio Romano, they want attacking midfielder, Kobbie Mainoo, as well.

Both players are unhappy at their lack of game-time at Old Trafford. The pair fear they’ll miss out on selection for their national sides’ squads at the 2026 World Cup if they continue to remain rooted to the bench.

Mainoo also has interest from Napoli, but per Romano, could be offered a fresh start much closer to home.

“There is interest from Napoli [in Mainoo] after the [thigh] injury to Kevin De Bruyne,” stated Romano on his YouTube channel. “Napoli wanted the player last summer and remain interested in Kobbie Mainoo.

“There is interest also from West Ham. They’ve called to understand the situation of BOTH Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee, [wanting] a loan for six months, to give them the opportunity to play and maybe the chance to go to the World Cup.”

It’s important to note West Ham cannot loan two players from the same Premier League side at the same time. As such, West Ham’s double enquiry suggests they’re covering all the bases and giving themselves the best chance of landing someone, rather than no one.

But unfortunately for the Hammers, Romano stressed that as of right now, Man Utd are NOT open to letting either player go in the winter window.

That is at the behest of manager Ruben Amorim who per the reporter, is “insisting” the pair be retained.

Amorim views Mainoo as the chief back-up to Bruno Fernandes as the attack-minded option in the midfield pairing.

Zirkzee can play anywhere in the front three and could see his minutes increase if injuries were to hit any of Benjamin Sesko, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.

After confirming Amorim wants Mainoo and Zirkzee to stay put, Romano concluded by stating: “At the moment at Man Utd they are not opening up to a negotiation. That’s the status of the story, nothing else is evolving [right now].”

AFCON also a factor in Mainoo, Zirkzee decisions

Romano’s reporting echoes what TEAMtalk published on Wednesday.

Our insider, Fraser Fletcher, was informed Man Utd will not allow Mainoo to leave on loan, even if he officially requests an exit for a second time.

Mainoo is viewed as essential cover and Amorim does not want to derail the momentum he’s building by leaving himself short on quality options if injuries hit.

Furthermore, Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Mbeumo are all expected to miss the first half of January while on international duty with their respective countries at AFCON.

That tournament runs from December 21 – January 18 and early-window exits for Mainoo and Zirkzee would leave United perilously short on numbers at a critical point in the season.

It’s around that time that United will get their FA Cup campaign under way and with no Europe and already out of the League Cup, the FA Cup is United’s only realistic shot at silverware this term.