Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo has recently asked for a loan move this season, but his employers have reportedly rejected his request.
The Man United academy graduate and young England midfielder is widely considered one of the brightest prospects in the club, not to mention admired in the Three Lions camp already.
After breaking into the first team under Erik ten Hag (having previously been thrown into senior training by Ole Gunnar Solskjær), he was quickly identified as one of the best players United have in the middle of the park, having also scored a number of important goals in big games.
However, Mainoo has somehow found himself not quite in the starting XI under Ruben Amorim – much to the frustration of many supporters and, unsurprisingly, the player himself – leading the Stockport-born starlet to consider the loan market for game time.
Probably the best case scenario for us if the manager isn’t going to play his best pivot player despite having the easiest midfield in the league to play against…
As reported by The Athletic and multiple outlets, Amorim and the powers that be at Man United have made it clear they do not want to loan him out this summer.
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Not only do they have no intention of sanctioning a spell away this season, but the manager and the board have reiterated that they want him to stay and fight for his place.
For any Reds fearing that this could ultimately mean the worst for Mainoo at Old Trafford, fret not; it is said that the 20-year-old has no intention of pursuing a permanent transfer away from his boyhood club.
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Put simply, the academy graduate wants to guarantee himself not just more regular game time but crucially first team minutes during these crucial early stages of his development as a footballer – something he’s still not sure he’ll get under the Portuguese head coach.
Nevertheless, the United boss has assured that he wants Mainoo, even if he isn’t quite the right fit for his system at the moment/has more to learn about the role he is being asked to play.
It’s fair to say that the revelations have rocked a good chunk of the fan base, with plenty calling for Mainoo to be dropped straight back into the starting lineup.
However, some are urging patience on all sides. One user on X wrote: “Not starting every week at 20 doesn’t mean you need a loan — it means you need patience. Respect the shirt, fight for the spot. If the bench at United breaks your spirit, good luck making a World Cup squad.”
On the other hand, footballer podcaster Alice Abrahams commented: “The fact that it’s reached a point where Mainoo has asked to leave on loan, because he feels that getting away is the best move for his development is frightening, especially when he offers so many solutions in midfield to a lot of Amorim’s problems, both in build-up and centrally is WORRYING.
“And the fact that Amorim doesn’t see him is an answer to that [problem] is deeply worrying.”
What do you make of the situation with Kobbie Mainoo at the moment, Reds, and while you’re here, what do you make of the Man United manager not watching his side’s historic penalty shootout defeat to League Two Grimsby Town?
Bayern Munich reportedly set to target Phil Foden in the summer transfer window
Danny Jones
European giants Bayern Munich are said to be interested in homegrown Manchester City star, and are interested in signing him this coming transfer window.
And if you believe some of the reports circulating around the Stockport-born footballer, he could very well be looking to leave the Etihad in the summer.
Foden seems to have somewhat fallen out of favour at Man City of late, having been benched in four of the last five games, with his overall minutes having been on a gradual slump over recent months; as a result, some sources are suggesting it’s prompted a potential move away.
As per TEAMtalk, the Bundesliga side is hoping to target the City youth product and England international ahead of next season, with former teammate turned Bayern head coach Vincent Kompany very keen on acquiring his services.
Man City have stepped up efforts to secure Phil Foden's future with talks held during the international break and confidence is now growing that a new deal will be finalised before the end of the season, amid Bayern Munich interest, @TEAMtalk can reveal.https://t.co/ScBP5a3a08
Whether or not having a club and Premier League legend in charge would serve as a sweetener for the attacking midfielder or not, who knows?
According to journalist Graeme Bailey, while the gifted playmaker is said to be “frustrated” with the current situation at Man City, the club are believed to have “stepped up efforts to secure the long-term future of Phil Foden, with fresh talks held during the international break”
Having still managed to chip in with 15 goal contributions so far this campaign – two-thirds of those involvements being goals – the hope is that they can tie him down to a new deal long before the end of the season.
There’s no question about his natural talent and versatility across the forward line; it’s just whether or not he’s happy with his game time under Pep Guardiola, which admittedly has often fluctuated ever since he broke into the first team.
Pep has never made a secret of his love for Phil, either; he’s just not afraid to mix things up and try different things given the squad depth at his disposal and other teams in the division becoming increasingly competitive.
It’s also worth noting that many expect him to be in Thomas Tuchel’s starting lineups for the Three Lions at this year’s World Cup.
At present, Foden’s contract is set to expire at the end of the next term (2026/27), but it’s rumoured that he could soon commit to staying until 2030 on paper.
Now 25, the once up-and-coming youngster/’rising star’ is now a fully-fledged senior professional and serial winner.
With many years still ahead of him, you could argue that this is the perfect time to take on a new challenge, or equally, stay with his beloved Blues and extend their modern dynasty as one of the more experienced and decorated members of the dressing room.
As for whether Kompany can convince him to swap his familiar surroundings for a fresh chapter in Germany, or whether or not another big Champions League-level outfit monitoring the situation could come sniffing, only time will tell.
For now, let’s just hope he has an incredible few weeks over in North America this June and July.
A free snooker fan zone has popped up in Manchester for the 2026 Tour Championship
Danny Jones
We’re sure plenty of you are well aware that this year’s WST Sportsbet.io Tour Championship is happening in Manchester right now, but what many of you may not know is that a completely free snooker fan zone has opened up as part of it.
You don’t need a ticket for any of the actual matches to watch them on the big screen or even play one of your own.
However, it isn’t just the buzz inside the match room itself that the World Snooker Tour has brought on its return to the city centre – even the supporter hub outside is well worth a visit.
Based over at Manchester Central on the Exchange side of the building, while the games themselves are taking place in the main rooms, the foyer and surrounding areas have been turned into a fan park.
Perfect for anyone looking for a fun way to spend an afternoon or, indeed, a full day this week – not to mention an ideal activity for kids this coming Easter bank holiday weekend – if you’re a fan of the sport, you’d be a fool not to at least pop your head in.
Running until this Sunday, 5 April, when the tournament itself finishes, snooker lovers have access not only to a bar area with multiple big screens and food and drink, but also numerous free tables for them to play on.
In fact, you quickly turn a few frames into some proper practice if you’re so inclined, as there’s even on-site coaching to be made the most of.
As you can see, people of all ages have already turned up in their droves to soak up the atmosphere.
Once again, the competition is being broadcast live and free-to-air on Channel 5 if you’re happy to watch the games at home, but we don’t need to tell you what makes sitting in a room with a bunch of fellow fans and getting excited together so enjoyable.
If you visit the Manchester Central convention centre before the end of the week, you can even have a go at playing on a proper king-sized snooker table for the full pro-feel experience.
For anyone who wants to grab actual tickets for the matches as well, you can find them HERE.
Danny Jones -
29th August 2025 
