Ruben Amorim warned that Man Utd exile could thrive at Arsenal: ‘Best conditions’ | Football

Ruben Amorim has been told that Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo would thrive at Arsenal under the tutelage of Mikel Arteta.

Mainoo has is still yet to start a single Premier League game for United this season in a clear sign that he has fallen down the pecking order under Amorim.

The 20-year-old enjoyed a breakout season under Erik ten Hag, culminating in him starting for England in the Euro 2024 final, but Amorim has preferred to partner Bruno Fernandes with one of Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte in his two-man midfield.

In search of regular minutes, Mainoo sought to engineer a loan move away from Old Trafford in the summer to boost his chances of making England’s World Cup squad, but the Red Devils refused to sanction a move.

But having played just 138 minutes of league football this season, United are braced for Mainoo to once again push for an exit when the window reopens in January.

Italian side Napoli have been credited with interest in Mainoo, while Chelsea have also previously been linked with a move for the 20-year-old.

But former Arsenal midfielder Stefan Schwarz believes that a move to north London to work under Arteta would be the perfect environment to get Mainoo back to his very best.

‘Arsenal have the best conditions for young players,’ Schwarz told Hajper.

‘And they have a manager in Mikel Arteta that is not afraid to give responsibility to them and give them opportunities when he feels they are ready.

‘It’s just about preparing them in the best way and that’s what Arsenal have done very well the last couple of years.’

Speaking last month, Amorim hinted that he was expecting some of his squad to seek a move away from Old Trafford in January.

‘I don’t know what is going to happen. A lot of things can happen, even in our club,’ Amorim said when asked about United’s plans in the winter transfer window.

‘You know that we have World Cup, some players are not playing, they will ask to leave, so I have to manage everything.’

If Mainoo made the surprise move to the Emirates, the Englishman would join the likes of Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino in a stacked Gunners midfield.

Schwarz, in particular, was keen to single out Rice’s excellence, but insisted that Arsenal’s supreme depth means that even his absence would not be as sorely felt as in years gone by.

‘Declan Rice is a very good player,’ the Swede added. ‘I like him a lot. He’s a good leader. He can play in different positions, he’s versatile and so solid. You know what you get from him every week.

‘His delivery is unbelievable, and he has a great work rate and ethic. He is one of the leaders at Arsenal. He rarely gets injured, and he’s a good character.

‘He looks out for and takes care of his team-mates. He is also very good when talking to the media, which is very important and is an understated skill. He’s so important to Arsenal.

‘If he was to get injured it would be a huge setback, they could cope in the short term thanks to the size of the squad but losing him for a couple of games wouldn’t be a problem.’

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