Man Utd midfielder Mainoo remains Chelsea target after talks confirmed by insider | OneFootball

The name of Kobbie Mainoo is reportedly coming up at Chelsea again as an insider has confirmed talks took place for his transfer in the summer.

Manchester United have five central midfielders to choose from, and in the two midfield roles in their 3-4-2-1 system, they generally use the same two men. Bruno Fernandes has played the most of any of those options, and Casemiro the second most.

Mainoo has played the fewest minutes of any of the midfield options at United, with 228, and reports suggest he’ll want to leave in January, having tried to exit in the summer, when he was told he was staying.

There are multiple options on his tail, and Chelsea are one of the most intriguing.

Blues insider Simon Phillips has revealed that Mainoo’s name is cropping up at Stamford Bridge, after they held talks with his agent in the summer.

He suggests that a midfield signing is on the agenda for Enzo Maresca’s side. The likes of Cole Palmer, Dario Essugo, Enzo Fernandez and Romeo Lavia have all suffered with injury problems this season.

As a result, adding more depth to the midfield will be useful as Chelsea look to maintain third spot in the Premier League.

While Lavia’s injury could see him return within a month, the Blues aren’t entirely certain on that, reports staying he’ll be out for ‘at least’ that period.

If they need cover in the midfield, then a hungry Mainoo who will surely feel hard done by at United and wants to push his case for inclusion in England’s World Cup squad could be a great option.

Whether United would allow Mainoo to join Chelsea remains to be seen. The pair are competing in the same area at the moment, with the third-placed Blues only two points ahead of seventh-placed United.

Though Mainoo isn’t getting much game time at Old Trafford at the moment, the Red Devils won’t want to strengthen a direct competitor, and after not allowing the midfielder to leave in the summer, it feels unlikely he’ll be given the nod to exit now.

Mainoo will be desperate for something to change, though, having only started one game all season – against Grimsby in the League Cup – while 45 minutes is the most he’s played in a single Premier League game this term.