Mick Brown

Tue 11 February 2025 9:34, UK

Man United are planning to sell Kobbie Mainoo in an effort to pull themselves out of a financial hole of their own making, according to their former chief scout.

Mick Brown, who spent over a decade at Old Trafford during their most successful period and remains very well-connected there, exclusively told Football Insider that previous ill-judged decisions may now have forced their hand.

This comes amid continued ticket price hikes, budget and staff cuts, and a number of other contentious and divisive actions taken since INEOS assumed control.

Brown previously warned Football Insider that Man United supporters could turn on the ownership with protests at Old Trafford as a result of their decision-making.

Now, the rumoured plans to sell academy stars such as Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho are expected to generate further uproar, given United’s history with the academy.

It is a situation of the club’s own making, though, with the money involved in backing Erik ten Hag in the transfer market – particularly in the case of Antony – and eventually sacking the manager, part of an ever-growing list of poor financial choices.

Kobbie Mainoo ‘came in and rescued Man United’

Brown previously told Football Insider that Mainoo should not be sold under any circumstances and should look to move a number of other players on in his place.

However, the former scout who has a wealth of experience in top-level player recruitment and also spent time with Tottenham, Aston Villa and West Ham, has now insisted that the 19-year-old is now being used to solve their ongoing off-field issues.

“It would be a crass judgement to sell one of the academy players,” he told Football Insider.

“Manchester United have been built on that, they’ve always had an academy player in the team.

“Kobbie Mainoo came in and rescued that team as a young kid coming into a struggling outfit, and performed so well that he stepped up into the England team.

“Then Amorim is trying to use him to solve United’s striker problem, playing him up front against Palace – just let him do what he does.

“It seems to be that they’re planning to move him on to bring in more money to balance the books.

“He’s now got to solve the financial problems which have, in large part, been created by INEOS and the decisions they’ve made.

“Look how much money they spent on hiring and firing the managers.

“Even before their time, it’s decisions like the one to buy Antony for £82million and giving Ten Hag free licence to spend as he pleased.

“If they hadn’t made all these mistakes, they wouldn’t be having to make these decisions.

“They wouldn’t have had to sack 250 members of staff, they wouldn’t be raising ticket prices, and they wouldn’t have to look at selling their best academy players.

“The academy is such an important part of Man United, so to come in and break that mould, it’s a shambles.”

Man United’s finances set for further £27m+ blow after source’s reveal

Man United’s financial situation looks set to be dealt a further blow later this season as a result of Amorim’s side’s underwhelming performances on the pitch.

Football Insider revealed on 6 February that they are set to be down more than £27million on their anticipated Premier League prize money.

This comes as they have dropped to 13th place in the table, falling behind Crystal Palace after their 2-0 win at Old Trafford last time out, and are 14 points below fourth-placed Chelsea.

United chiefs had planned and budgeted for a top-four finish this season and a return to the Champions League, but are left stunned by what has been a shocking campaign so far.

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