‘Difficult situation’ – Ruben Amorim refuses to guarantee Man Utd will keep Kobbie Mainoo as Chelsea eye £60m transfer
RUBEN AMORIM cannot guarantee Kobbie Mainoo will stay at Manchester United this month.
The £60million-rated Chelsea target, 19, could be sacrificed to keep the Red Devils in line with Prem financial rules.
England midfielder Mainoo is in a stand-off over a new contract.
He wants a pay rise and extension on his £20,000-a-week deal, which expires in 2027.
United boss Amorim said: “Our idea is always to keep our best players but we also know that it is a difficult situation for the club, a hard moment.
“I am really happy with Kobbie — he is improving all the time.
“My players are always my favourite players and I always like to keep them — especially the talented ones.”
Alejandro Garnacho, 20, is another United academy product who could be sold to balance the books.
Prem clubs are only allowed to make £105m in losses over any three-year period and academy products count as pure profit on Profit and Sustainability balance sheets.
That means selling Mainoo, Garnacho or Marcus Rashford — wanted by AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund — would allow Amorim to splash the cash.
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Amorim previously admitted United need to sell before he can buy players to improve a team that are 13th in the Prem.
He wants a reunion with Sporting Lisbon striker Viktor Gyokeres.
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Nigeria forward Victor Osimhen and Portugal left-back Nuno Mendes are also targets.
Rashford has missed the last six games after saying he wants a new challenge but Amorim refused to say if he will be back in the squad for tomorrow’s FA Cup tie against Arsenal.
Amorim, who is relishing the “history” and “tradition” of his first cup match in England, said: “We will see.
“They are available, they are training.”