Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is insisting that the club reject all offers for unsettled duo Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee when the January transfer window opens, a report has claimed.
Both players are believed to be unhappy with their limited roles under Amorim. Mainoo has not started a Premier League game since early May, while Zirkzee has managed just 82 minutes of league action this season.
With the 2026 World Cup right around the corner and both players currently outside the thoughts of their respective international managers, Mainoo and Zirkzee are both expected to look for moves away from Old Trafford in January, but Fabrizio Romano has revealed Amorim’s plans to further frustrate the pair.
It is claimed that Amorim wants to hold on to both players when the January window opens, believing Mainoo and Zirkzee have important roles in the squad as cover for some of the preferred starters.
In Amorim’s thinking is the busy festive period, the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations and what could be a hectic end to the campaign, and so the boss wants as many options as possible to allow him to rotate his squad and prevent injuries at crucial times.
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The bid to keep both Mainoo and Zirkzee this winter may not be a simple one for United as both players are attracting serious interest.
Napoli are known admirers of Mainoo, having failed to sign him during the summer, and are expected to reignite their interest after summer signing Kevin De Bruyne went down with a hamstring injury that is likely to keep him sidelined for several months.
La Gazzetta dello Sport note Roma are pushing to sign Zirkzee, while both players have been linked with Premier League strugglers West Ham United. However, David Ornstein has admitted the Hammers are unlikely to end up with either Mainoo or Zirkzee.
Working against Mainoo is his status as an academy graduate. United have included one club-trained player in every matchday squad for the past 88 years, and the England international is one of only two senior options available to Amorim to maintain that streak, alongside third-choice goalkeeper Tom Heaton. The boss has publicly admitted he does not want to be the one to end that run.
United legend Rio Ferdinand recently challenged Mainoo to work hard and “show some fight” in his quest to prove himself to Amorim, urging him to take a different path to the one chosen by fellow academy graduate Marcus Rashford.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Ruben Amorim Takes Strong Stance on Kobbie Mainoo, Joshua Zirkzee Futures—Report.