Man United plan to block ‘huge’ January exit – ‘They’ve learned from Scott McTominay’
Man United are planning to block any departure for Kobbie Mainoo in the January transfer window as a result of Scott McTominay’s success at Napoli.
That is according to former Man United chief scout Mick Brown, who worked at Old Trafford for over a decade during the club’s most successful period, as he exclusively told Football Insider that United made a mistake when allowing McTominay to leave.
Now, they are determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past, as McTominay has become a superstar at Napoli, helping them win the league and earning a Ballon d’Or nomination.
Football Insider revealed last month that Man United have no plans to let Mainoo leave despite the growing interest as a result of his lack of playing time.
Mainoo has been frustrated at Man United and asked to leave on loan during the summer before seeing his exit blocked, and the same is expected to happen in January.
Man United plan to block Kobbie Mainoo exit
Brown told Football Insider in September that Man United will not let Mainoo leave, despite Ruben Amorim being open to the idea of his departure.
The former scout, who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment and also worked for the likes of Tottenham, Aston Villa and West Ham, insisted that Mainoo will remain at Man United as a big part of their plans for the future.
“They know they made a mistake letting McTominay leave,” he told Football Insider.
“I was aghast at the fact they were even contemplating letting him go given the issues they had in midfield, and he’s done an incredible job since leaving.
“He’s gone away, knuckled down and become an absolute superstar for Napoli and for Scotland.
“But I think Man United have learned from the mistake of letting him go, and they’re going to take a different approach towards Kobbie Mainoo.
“There’s been a lot of talk about his future, will he stay, will he go, will the manager give him more minutes or is he going to stay on the fringes?
“As far as the club are concerned, there are no plans to let him go, because they know if he left it would be the same situation we’ve seen with McTominay.
MORE ON MAN UNITED FROM FOOTBALL INSIDER:
👉 Man United ready to strip player of squad number for Antoine Semenyo to take it despite ‘fresh terms’ signed
👉 Kobbie Mainoo ‘leaving’ in January and what it means for Man United’s PSR
👉 ‘Disgraceful’ – Man United fans tear into ‘awful’ player who was horrific vs Everton
“He would go and impress wherever he went, and all of a sudden everybody would be asking why he wasn’t allowed to do that at Man United.
“So if those offers do come in for him, I’d be very surprised if they allowed him to leave, and I still think he’s a huge part of their plans for the future.”
Scott McTominay to make sensational Premier League return?
Speculation surrounding McTominay’s future at Napoli has emerged in recent months, with the Scotland international heavily linked with a return to the Premier League.
Football Insider revealed on 1 November that Tottenham are interested in McTominay and are assessing what it would take to land him in the January window.
However, McTominay is highly unlikely to leave Napoli mid-way through the season as he remains happy there as an important part of their plans for the future.
Spurs are not the only interested club, as Football Insider exclusively revealed on 16 November that Everton are keeping tabs on McTominay’s situation.
A return mid-way through the season would come as a surprise, though, given the amount of money it would take to prise him away form the Italian champions.
For more Everton and exclusive news, follow us on Facebook or join our brand new WhatsApp Channel for instant updates to be sent straight to your phone.