Kobbie Mainoo to link up with Marcus Rashford? Barcelona want to 'tempt' Man Utd outcast to Camp Nou but face Real Madrid, Chelsea and Napoli transfer competition

United boss Ruben Amorim had hoped to bring in a new central midfielder over the summer, and the Premier League powerhouse were heavily linked with a move for Brighton star Carlos Baleba. However, United failed to agree a fee with the Seagulls for the Cameroonian ball winner, and a transfer failed to materialise.

Baleba continues to be linked with a move to United, as does Crystal Palace youngster Adam Wharton and Nottingham Forest sensation Elliot Anderson, though United would face stiff competition from a number of Premier League rivals for the latter pair.

While a January move for any of the three midfielders would be difficult to complete, Mainoo is eager to leave the club as he looks to reignite his England chances ahead of the 2026 World Cup. The 20-year-old is yet to start a Premier League match this season, and United's lack of European action means Amorim sees little need to rotate in the middle of the park.

And according to Spanish publication Defensa Central, Barcelona are ready to make their move for Mainoo.

The report states that Barcelona are looking to 'tempt' Mainoo away from United as the Blaugrana consider bolstering their midfield options. That being said, the same report also claims that competition for the United outcast is rife, with Real Madrid sniffing around the youngster.

After a flying start to the season under Xabi Alonso, Los Blancos are struggling and are now seven points behind league leaders Barcelona, albeit with a game in hand, following a run of one win in their last five. Even so, the Spanish giants are prepared to sanction a move for Mainoo to not only improve the squad, but to also strike a blow to their fierce rivals.

Real Madrid are not the only European heavyweight in for Mainoo with Serie A giants Napoli and Premier League outfit Chelsea also monitoring the United midfielder. A move to Napoli would see Mainoo tread the same path as Scott McTominay, who was rebuilt his career following his move to Italy last summer.

The Blues, meanwhile, are renowned for hoovering up the best young talent on the continent and would jump at the chance to sign a player of Mainoo's calibre and scope for improvement. A separate report states that Chelsea are leading the race for Mainoo, though the player's preference is to move to Napoli. 

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Mainoo isn't the only United outcast pushing to leave Old Trafford in January. Joshua Zirkzee has dropped down the pecking order at Old Trafford following the summer arrivals of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko.

The Dutchman is another who is keen to garner minutes ahead of the 2026 World Cup and recently scored his first goal of the season in United's 2-1 win at Crystal Palace last month.

Amorim's side, though, are refusing to green-light Mainoo and Zirkzee's respective January exits. Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano recently shed light on the situation at Old Trafford, with the United head coach wary about allowing the pair to depart next month.

With Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui all expected to link up with Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Morocco, respectively, for the Africa Cup of Nations, Amorim "does not want to weaken the squad further in January".

Speaking on his YouTube podcast, Romano said: "Two important situations to monitor: Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee. With several players leaving for AFCON, Ruben Amorim does not want to weaken the squad further in January. This is a key factor in United’s thinking. Roma have strong and genuine interest in Joshua Zirkzee. They have spoken to his representatives and consider him a priority target. However, this deal depends entirely on Manchester United, and as of now, there is no green light.

"Kobbie Mainoo is also pushing to play more and would like a loan move. There are more than ten clubs interested, including Napoli, who have been pushing for weeks. But again, United have not made a decision yet. The message from Old Trafford is clear. Because of AFCON and squad depth concerns, no exits will be approved unless United feel fully protected. The desire of the players is there, but the final decision belongs to the club."