Mainoo requested a loan move in the summer, but the club refused. According to sources, United’s hierarchy felt the request came too late in the window and left them without enough time to bring in a suitable replacement.
He was subsequently told he would be competing with Bruno Fernandes for a starting role.
Yet in the first 15 Premier League games of the season, Fernandes has started every match and has missed only eight minutes in total, coming from two late substitutions.
Mainoo, meanwhile, has struggled for meaningful playing time. He has not started a single league game and has been limited to brief second-half appearances.
Sources have now told Flashscore that United are again being made aware of Mainoo’s desire to explore opportunities away from Old Trafford - whether on loan or in a permanent move.
He no longer believes he has the manager’s backing and feels that by signalling his intentions early, he increases the chances of securing a new club in the upcoming window.
United, however, remain reluctant to let him go, in part because they are not confident they can secure their preferred midfield targets in January.
Even so, discussions about Mainoo’s future are becoming unavoidable - with Napoli attempting to position themselves at the front of the queue to sign him.
Mainoo is open to playing either in England or abroad as he searches for a new challenge and a chance to regain his best form.
He became United’s FA Cup final winning goalscorer in 2024, but less than two years later he feels he has no future at the club while Amorim remains in charge.
Although Amorim’s job looked uncertain at the start of the campaign, that is not the case right now - leaving Mainoo to consider his next move.
