A T-shirt worn by Kobbie Mainoo’s half-brother garnered significant attention after the thrilling 4-4 draw between Manchester United and Bournemouth at Old Trafford.
Jordan Mainoo-Hames sported a ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’ T-shirt during the match, a choice that could complicate an already tense situation.
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The future of Mainoo at United has become a contentious topic, as head coach Ruben Amorim has yet to give him a Premier League start this season.
Amorim has frequently defended his stance against suggestions that he does not value Mainoo or trust United’s academy system.
The 20-year-old had expressed a desire to join Napoli in the summer, but United declined to approve the transfer.
Mainoo made an appearance to enthusiastic applause with just under 30 minutes left in the match against Bournemouth, marking his third-longest outing in a Premier League game this season and increasing his total playing time for the campaign to 302 minutes.
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Reports indicate that Napoli remains interested in signing the England international, along with several other clubs.
However, United recognizes that allowing Mainoo to leave to enhance his chances of making England’s World Cup squad would require them to invest substantially more in a replacement, given his relatively modest salary.
Amorim was not questioned about the T-shirt in the post-match interview, but he did speak about Mainoo last Friday.
While he refrained from confirming whether he would approve a January transfer, he expressed willingness to discuss matters with Mainoo.
“I’ve had conversations with him, particularly last year, and with other players, but not on that specific subject,” Amorim stated.
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“I would be glad if Kobbie chose to come and talk to me about that. My goal is to keep my players satisfied.
“I understand that every individual has their own aspirations, and frustration doesn’t help anyone.
“I won’t disclose everything I would say, but I am open to talking with him.
“I am completely transparent, and that’s clear. I have my views, and those won’t change unless I reconsider, but I am open to discussions with any player. I value that.”
Amorim’s comments haven’t only unsettled Mainoo.
Before the Bournemouth match, he remarked that 18-year-old defender Harry Amass was “struggling in the Championship” while with Sheffield Wednesday, despite him being the club’s player of the month. Additionally, he claimed that 18-year-old forward Chido Obi was “not always a starter in the Under-21s.”
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These statements did not sit well with player representatives and senior academy staff.
Both Amass and Obi took to social media to showcase their achievements before later removing their posts.
Amass had shared a photo of him holding Sheffield Wednesday’s player of the month award for November with a smiling emoji, and Obi posted an Instagram story celebrating a goal for the Under-21s against Manchester City in August.