Paul Scholes has claimed that Kobbie Mainoo is ‘lost’ at Manchester United, with his former club not knowing ‘what to do’ with the midfielder.
Mainoo was linked with a transfer to Chelsea in the January transfer window, with the Red Devils open to selling him at the end of the season for the right price if the Blues reignite their interest in the English star.
Amid the speculation over his future, United legend Scholes feels head coach Rubem Amorim is unsure how to best use Mainoo, who surprisinglyfeatured as a false nine against Crystal Palace earlier this month.
It comes after football pundit Graeme Souness said that the highly-rated 19-year-old star ‘doesn’t understand his position’ at Old Trafford.
Tony Cascarino has also warned Amorim that he is hurting Mainoo by not letting him play consistently in his most natural midfield position.
Scholes has now shared his own thoughts on the situation with the United icon quizzed about Mainoo on The Overlap Fan Debate, brought to you by Sky Bet.
‘I think Mainoo is lost,’ Scholes said. ‘I’ve talked about Declan Rice being lost before – I think Mainoo is lost as well.
‘They don’t know what to do with him. I don’t think he knows where to play on a football pitch.
‘He’s been played in one of the number 10 positions, he has been played in the two in the midfield, which I can see probably doesn’t suit him because I don’t think he’s the greatest athlete.
‘He’s a great footballer. I think the No 10 does suit, [but] the false nine, never in a million years.’
It is believed that United would demand £80m in order to let Mainoo swap Old Trafford for Stamford Bridge at the end of the current season.
United reportedly require player sales in order to significantly strengthen Ruben Amorim’s squad with new signings in the next summer window, amid concerns over the the top-flight’s profit and sustainability rules (PSR).
Selling players who have graduated from an academy, such as Mainoo, can be a financial goldmine for clubs, as they are considered pure profit.
Mainoo is under contract at United until 2027 – but he wants a new deal on a vastly improved salary – as he is currently only paid £20,000-a-week.
Speaking last month, Amorim challenged Mainoo to show he is worth a bigger salary amid his uncertain future at the club.
‘He is not [the finished product],’ Amorim said about Mainoo. ‘He has so much potential to grow up even more. He is really, really good but he can be so much better.’
