Manchester United’s summer overhaul continues as Kobbie Mainoo’s next club odds go live, suggesting a move away from Old Trafford before the transfer window closes is imminent.
The 20-year-old academy graduate hasn’t played a single minute of the 2025/26 season as Rúben Amorim looks to favour experience over youth in the middle of the park.
A shift in formation and new arrivals have left Mainoo’s time at the club hanging by a thread. He’s now up against captain Bruno Fernandes for a spot in the team because of the Portuguese international playing a deeper role to accommodate Matheus Cunha’s arrival in the ten.
Negotiations over a new contract towards the end of last season stalled, with the player still on a reported £20,000 per week until 2027, signed when he was breaking into the first team in 2023.
His stock has risen, but Man United’s inability to offload the likes of Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, Antony and Tyrell Malacia, all of whom are training away from the main group, means that Mainoo’s days could be numbered. A push to sign Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, who cuts a similar profile to Mainoo, has fuelled speculation on a potential move.
There’ll be no shortage of takers for this talented central midfielder who already has ten England caps to his name and was trusted by Gareth Southgate to start the European Championship final loss against Spain.
However, his days in Manchester look numbered, and he cut a defeated figure as he entered the pitch at Craven Cottage without kicking a ball to thank the travelling fans for their unwavering support.
A final goodbye? Perhaps, but if he does leave, odds suggest that it won’t be to a Premier League rival, instead favouring a move abroad. The only question that remains is where?
Kobbie Mainoo Transfer Odds
Markets haven’t long been live for Mainoo’s next club odds, but some of the best betting sites have had their say on where he might end up. Here’s the latest from the betting:
| Potential Next Club | Odds | Bookmaker |
|---|---|---|
| Real Madrid | 15/8 | Unibet |
| Atlético Madrid | 9/4 | Unibet |
| Brighton | 8/1 | bet365 |
| Chelsea | 8/1 | bet365 |
| Everton | 12/1 | bet365 |
*Odds correct as of 11:00 BST 27/8/2025. Odds subject to change.
Real Madrid – 15/8 with Unibet
Real Madrid are the early favourites to sign Mainoo, and Football Transfers have suggested they’ve been in contact with Man United about a possible loan move to allow both teams time to weigh up a long-term option.
Madrid is entering its post-Modric era, so the need to strengthen in that area with young, exciting talents like Mainoo has been something that new boss Xabi Alonso is keen to explore.
They already have a wealth of talent in the middle of the park, with Bellingham, Valverde, Tchouaméni and Camavinga as the core. Mainoo would offer something different to all four, with a high work rate, the ability to press, and the capacity to make progressive passes.
Ideally, he’d play alongside the destroyer, Tchouaméni, as a conservative RCM, providing cover for when Bellingham pushes into more advanced positions.
But with so many players on their books, you’d have to wonder how many minutes the 20-year-old would get. That said, there’s no smoke without fire, and there’s slight value at 15/8 if you buy into Alonso being keen to add players he can develop.
Verdict: This would be a massive move for Mainoo, but Real are keen and 15/8 does offer value right now.
Atlético Madrid – 9/4 with Unibet
Diego Simeone is a keen admirer of Mainoo, and his Atlético Madrid team are just behind rivals Real in the betting.
The two teams may share a city, but the style of football is completely different, which might not be a bad thing if the midfielder is fancying a stint in the Spanish capital.
What he will get at Atlético that won’t be guaranteed at Real is game time. Simeone’s team will have a congested fixture list, consisting of La Liga, Copa del Rey, and the Champions League, among others.
His role will likely be less fluid and more disciplined in a fixed number six role, sitting deep, allowing more attacking players to break forward.
Mainoo’s next club odds of 9/4 to join Atlético look a little short, and really, we’d want 11/4 or even higher to get excited about this move.
Verdict: The move might happen, but with all the noise around Real Madrid, we’d likely avoid this at 9/4.
INFO
There’s a huge curveball at play here, and that comes from BetVictor. They currently have “Any Spanish Club” priced at 7/4, which is only slightly shorter than the Real Madrid odds of 15/8. You’re getting two-for-one here, with only a slight trade-off in odds, making this the value play for Kobbie Mainoo’s transfer odds.
No Expiry Date
Chelsea – 8/1 with bet365
It wouldn’t be a transfer story without a link to Chelsea. But this isn’t just another aimless link, as the Blues showed their interest in Mainoo back in January and were content with matching Man United’s valuation of £60 million at the time.
The move never materialised, and at the time, Amorim was keen to keep a hold of one of his main men. That price has come down somewhat since then, and it’s thought a deal could be sealed for as little as £40 million to free up some Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) room at Old Trafford.
Chelsea have PSR headaches of their own, and for this to go through, they would likely need to sell, with reports that Nicolas Jackson could leave before the window closes.
There’s a caveat to the market, which may have some value attached, and that comes down to the odds. bet365 have him at 8/1 to join Chelsea, but William Hill are as short as 10/3 and Unibet aren’t too far behind at 7/2.
A move feels like it wouldn’t really be a good fit for either club right now. Manchester United won’t want to sell a hot prospect to a rival, and Chelsea wants to bolster more attacking roles.
Verdict: Mainoo’s preference is to move abroad, and even at 8/1, we don’t think there’s enough meat on the bone to make this deal work.
