Chelsea discussing Manchester United star again after initial summer contact
Chelsea chiefs have identified one problem - is he the answer?
Chelsea are reportedly showing interest in Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo again, according to Simon Phillips.
The England international is facing an uncertain future at Man Utd at the moment, and Chelsea aren’t the only club showing an interest in his situation, as we’ve previously reported here.
MORE: Chelsea rival Liverpool for signing of elite Premier League CB - exclusive!
It seems Mainoo to Chelsea is now back on the agenda as the Blues have some internal concerns about their depth in central midfield.
Chelsea’s midfield issues and how Kobbie Mainoo could fit in
Chelsea manager Enzo Maresca currently has a world class first-choice midfield pairing of Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez, but over the course of a long season that might not be enough.
A big issue for the west Londoners is the lack of reliable depth behind those two, with Romeo Lavia badly struggling during his time at Stamford Bridge.
Although Lavia looked an outstanding prospect at former club Southampton, he’s had long-running fitness issues at Chelsea, and Mainoo would probably be a more reliable upgrade.
Would Chelsea transfer appeal to Kobbie Mainoo?
Still, given that Mainoo is currently only warming the bench for United, it remains to be seen if he’d be that tempted to join Chelsea, where he also probably wouldn’t be a starter.
The Daily Briefing newsletter is now FREE to read - with all your essential football headlines delivered ad-free straight to your inbox seven mornings a week.
UPGRADE to a paid subscription to receive exclusive in-depth transfer news, comment, and analysis from our experts!
Given the looming 2026 World Cup, it surely makes sense for Mainoo to do his best to find a club where he can start regularly and give himself the best possible chance of making Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for next summer’s tournament in the United States.
As we’ve previously reported, Mainoo also has suitors elsewhere, with Napoli particularly keen, while the line up to now from United has also been that they’re not too keen to let the 20-year-old go.
It will be interesting to see how this pans out in the coming weeks, but with January edging closer and Mainoo still not playing, it’s not too surprising we’re seeing transfer rumours like this refusing to go away any time soon.