Kobbie Mainoo is unhappy with Manchester United's first offer for a new contract, prompting the club to make a U-turn over his future.
Mainoo, 19, already has a long-term contract with United that does not expire until 2027, plus the option for a further 12 months, after being rewarded for breaking into the first team two years ago. But the Red Devils are currently in talks to give him a better deal, with Premier League rivals Chelsea willing to take advantage if negotiations fail.
United do not want to lose Mainoo but will now listen to serious bids for the England international. That's a reversal from their stance earlier this year, when he, Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Hojlund were the only three players deemed 'untouchable'.
Now that number has been reduced to just two, with Leny Yoro and breakout star Amad moved up in status for £52million over the trio, who have had difficult seasons to date. That leaves Mainoo open to bids and while United are not actively looking to sell him due to their need for cash in the January transfer window, there was disappointment in the midfielder's camp with their first bid.
The Manchester Evening News reports that Mainoo was left unhappy when he discovered the club had offered him new terms. The 19-year-old could therefore end his decade-long stay if both parties fail to reach a solution.
Elsewhere it has been reported that Mainoo is demanding a wage of £200,000 a week, ten times what he would currently earn. That puts the club in a difficult position, as overspending in recent years puts them at risk of breaching the Premier League's profit and sustainability rules.
New manager Ruben Amorim – whose recruitment cost United a total of £21 million as they also had to pay off the sacked Erik ten Hag – will be unable to buy any players in January until the sale is completed. Asked about their plans for the transfer window last week, Amorim said: “When the window is open, we can try to do something and we will try to do something.
“But I think in the coming weeks we will have more time to train and we can improve, that's the only way. We played a lot of matches without training, now we have more room to grow. You can see it that the context is worse at the moment because we have suffered a lot of losses, so we have to manage everything.”
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