According to a reliable source, Napoli is making headway in their attempts to entice Kobbie Mainoo from Manchester United during the January transfer window.
During the last hours of the summer transfer window, the England international, dissatisfied with his supporting position under Ruben Amorim, requested to leave the Red Devils on loan.
Although Mainoo’s appeal was turned down, the 20-year-old’s circumstances have not improved, and he has only started one game this season—in Man United’s humiliating EFL Cup second-round loss to Grimsby Town.
The midfielder is still waiting to make a first XI in the Premier League during the 2025-26 campaign, was an unused replacement in the weekend’s 2-2 draw away to Nottingham Forest, and has played just 138 minutes of top-flight football all season long.
Mainoo’s England spot at the 2026 World Cup is in grave danger, thus it is anticipated that he would push for another short-term exit during the winter. Serie A winners Napoli are seen to be the front-runners to sign him.
Napoli “aggressively pushing” for Kobbie Mainoo
According to TEAMtalk, Antonio Conte is reportedly desperate to bring Mainoo to Naples for the second half of the season. The former head coach of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur may soon get his way.
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According to the source, the Italian champions are “aggressively pushing” for Mainoo to sign a loan in January, and Napoli’s efforts are finally bringing the England international’s move to Serie A “closer to reality.”
Man United might be persuaded by two important factors: Napoli is allegedly prepared to pay Mainoo’s £45,000 weekly wage in full and to accept an option to purchase the midfield player at the end of the current campaign.
Aurelio de Laurentiis, president of Partenopei, is reportedly also talking with the recruitment team about how Mainoo would fit into Conte’s system. Additionally, the Englishman’s group is also in early negotiations with Napoli regarding a mid-season transfer.
However, talks at Old Trafford about how to replace the 20-year-old have “accelerated,” as Man United is unwilling to allow Mainoo go without finding a replacement.
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