Tottenham Hotspur are eyeing a January move to sign Manchester United star Kobbie Mainoo, according to the Daily Briefing.
Having made it clear to Manchester United that he wished to leave over the summer, Mainoo remains at Old Trafford after a loan move was blocked. He is yet to start a Premier League game, though, with less than 150 minutes to his name over two months into the season.
Mainoo did start in the Carabao Cup second round clash but was left embarrassed along with his teammates as United were dumped out by Grimsby Town on penalties. It has left one of England's 2024 stars in limbo ahead of the World Cup next summer.
Mainoo has not played for his country since September last year and has not been included in a squad under Thomas Tuchel in over 12 months. With Bruno Fernandes ahead of him in the pecking order under Ruben Amorim, Mainoo faces a battle to get regular game time.
Amorim has made it clear that he views Mainoo as a competitor for Fernandes' spot in midfield, leaving him stuck behind the club captain and without a way of getting in ahead of the struggling duo Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte.
All is not lost for Mainoo
However, there is still hope for Mainoo this season. According to Marc Brus' Daily Briefing, Spurs are among the clubs tracking him.
The journalist reported that having just spoken to a source, there is hope a move could happen despite Mn Utd preferring to keep the England international.
"I’m told that the January transfer window is going to be a very interesting one for Manchester United as they may be forced into the market for a new midfielder.
"Names like Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton have been on the Red Devils’ radar for some time, though neither are likely to be allowed to leave their current clubs in the middle of the season.
"This poses an issue for United, though, as they face the prospect of having to replace a big name who wants to leave.
"That name, not too surprisingly, is Kobbie Mainoo, according to my source I just got off the phone to.
'Kobbie Mainoo wanted to leave in the summer but United blocked it,' my source said. 'This will be one to watch again in January because he’s still not playing and interested clubs are still there.'
"Multiple sources have confirmed it to me that Napoli are big admirers of Mainoo, and that the Serie A champions have done the most work on the player’s side for that potential deal. There’ll be Premier League interest as well, though, from with Chelsea, Tottenham, Newcastle and Leeds all monitoring him in recent months."
The 21-year-old could yet depart in January with his boyhood side looking for alternatives in the market. They are huge admirers of Brighton all-rounder Carlos Baleba as well as emerging Crystal Palace and England star Adam Wharton.
Should United get anyone through the door, it opens Mainoo up for a mid-season exit. Tottenham, in particular, will be a name for him to watch out for.
Thomas Frank sought reinforcement at the end of the summer window and turned to Joao Palhinha on loan. Despite his goals this season, there have already been questions around his ability to progress the ball forward and how it hinders the Lillywhites in possession.
With injuries to James Maddison and Dejan Kulusevski, Frank has found himself increasingly reliant on key trio Pape Matar Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur, and Lucas Bergvall to keep things ticking. Mainoo would offer something different and some additional cover with Bentancur's own fitness issues.