English-Ghanaian midfielder Kobbie Mainoo urged to leave Man United for Chelsea by Scholes and Butt

Manchester United academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo has been advised to consider a January transfer to Chelsea as former club legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt weigh in.

Mainoo, of Ghanaian heritage, has struggled for game time under Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim this season, prompting concerns over his development. Both Scholes and Butt believe a move is now in his best interest.

Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, Scholes said: “You would have to advise him to go. If he rang me and said, ‘I think Chelsea are in for me, what do you think?’, I’d say ‘all day long’.”

“He is a 20-year-old kid, he is going to have to leave. What will happen now is he’ll bring him into a game and he won’t be great, because he needs five, six, seven, eight games.

“He’ll throw him into the team and say ‘I told you so’. No one (in the hierarchy) gets the club. You think of the treatment of Kobbie Mainoo."

Butt, United’s former academy director, echoed the advice, stressing that Mainoo has lost crucial development time over the past 18 months. “For his football career, he has to leave,” Butt said.

“Chelsea are putting together a very good young squad. They keep buying young players and the right good young players. You think he could quite easily end up at Chelsea next season.”