The January transfer window is approaching and it will provide a chance for two players from Man Utd to leave the club.
Mainoo and Zirkzee have hardly played this season.(Image: Manchester United)
Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee won’t be counting down the days until Christmas this year.
They will be counting down the days until the January transfer window opens. The pair have hardly played for Manchester United this season, and the winter window could offer an escape route.
Mainoo has played 228 minutes in all competitions and has started just once in the Carabao Cup. Zirkzee has not been given a single start and has played just 90 minutes in five substitute appearances.
Amorim was asked whether he understood why Mainoo and Zirkzee would be frustrated, especially in a World Cup season, and he responded: “That is normal. I also know that in our club everything is a lot of noise. You have to have news. Players are not playing. They want to play.
“Like you said, there’s a World Cup. There are agents that listen to the players talking all the time. So I understand that, but they are our players and we need everyone to have a good season.”
He said during a separate interview: “I see Kobbie Mainoo training today, and he deserves to play, but then I have to take one guy [out] that’s playing really well. We should have played in the Carabao Cup.
“Because I need to see Kobbie Mainoo playing, I need to see Josh, all of these guys deserve to play, but in the end, it is one more game you need to make choices. So you have both sides.”
The failure to qualify for Europe and the defeat to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup second round mean there are fewer fixtures to rotate the team, but Amorim has chosen to overlook Mainoo and Zirkzee.
It’s not been a surprise to see the latter fall out of favour. Zirkzee was signed as a striker, but he couldn’t lead the attack and was eventually relocated to one of the No.10 roles last season.
He looked more comfortable in that role and delivered some decent performances, however, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo were signed for those positions in the summer.
Mason Mount is next in the pecking order, while Amad can also play in that role, so Zirkzee hasn’t had a sniff and will likely want to leave in January for the sake of regular game time.
Mainoo’s situation feels different. The youngster was outstanding during his breakout campaign, he scored the matchwinner in the 2024 FA Cup final and starred for England at Euro 2024.
He has fallen from a higher starting point than Zirkzee. Mainoo has reacted in the right way, getting his head down and working hard, but Amorim has said the 20-year-old is competing with Bruno Fernandes to start.
Mainoo has done everything he can to change Amorim’s mind, even changing his private chef at home in an attempt to improve his game and working with private coaches during the international breaks.
His request to leave on loan was blocked in the final days of the summer transfer window, and it seems inevitable the question will be asked again in the winter window.
It was not long ago that he was starting for England against Spain in the Euro 2024 final, but his dream of representing his country at the World Cup next summer has looked less likely each week this term.
Thomas Tuchel has explained that he needs minutes to feature in his plans. The only way Mainoo will give himself a chance of going to the World Cup is by leaving United on loan in January.
Whether United permit an exit for either Zirkzee or Mainoo remains to be seen. They are seen as important squad players and United will lose Bryan Mbeumo, Amad and Noussair Mazraoui to the Africa Cup of Nations.
Zirkzee and Mainoo will argue their case and want to play in the second half of the season to give themselves a chance of going to the World Cup, but United will argue they are needed in Manchester.
While their situations are unfortunate, United pay their wages and will put the club first.
