Real Madrid now among three Champions League clubs sizing up mid-season swoop for Old Trafford fan-favourite | OneFootball

In the event Kobbie Mainoo decides to push for a mid-season departure from Manchester United, he won’t be short of suitors.

Whilst the whole team has endured a truly torrid start to 2025/2026, the youngster has also personally been navigating his uncertain situation at Old Trafford, whereby he’s fallen out of favour under Ruben Amorim.

Fans will recall that in the final week of the summer window, Mainoo requested a loan move away from the club after being an unused substitute for the opening two Premier League matches of the term.

His pleas fell on deaf ears in the United hierarchy, and he was made to stay put and fight for his role.

Kobbie Mainoo: The state of play this season

(Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

It’s since been claimed that Mainoo is likely to do the same in January if his situation has not changed.  With how things are going, you can imagine that’d be the case in three months’ time.

The 20-year-old has yet to start in the league thus far and has totalled only 100 minutes worth of action across the four appearances he’s made. The lengthiest cameo he’s been granted came in the form of a 45-minute stint against Burnley on August 30, during which he replaced the injured Mason Mount at half-time.

He then played 28 minutes in the subsequent Manchester derby defeat, three minutes against Chelsea and 24 minutes in the defeat to Brentford last weekend.

Who might be interested in Mainoo?

So, where might Mainoo end up if he sees out the second half of the campaign in another club’s colours?

According to MailSport, his preference in the summer was to join Napoli, in a move that’d see him reunite with former teammates Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund while plying his trade alongside six-time Premier League winner Kevin De Bruyne.

The reigning Serie A champions may revive their interest in the winter, and given there’ll be more time for a deal to be negotiated, both Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid could even enter the mix, amongst a host of other top European sides.

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