Chelsea in 'pole position' to sign Manchester United star who could be sold due to controversial rule

Chelsea are reportedly 'leading the chase' to sign Kobbie Mainoo if Manchester United ultimately decide to sell the teenage midfielder this year.

United are not actively looking to sell the 19-year-old academy product but will have to give consideration to any sizeable offer that comes in for any of their homegrown players. United effectively have no transfer budget to improve their squad this month and will have to sell before they can buy due to their tight financial situation.

The outlook could be even worse come the end of the season, with United on course to miss out on lucrative Champions League prize money, unless they can win the Europa League. It could force them to sell one of their prize assets this summer, with the likes of Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, and Mainoo all contenders to leave the club due to controversial financial rules.

Under the current Premier League profit and sustainability rules, there is an incentive to sell academy products due to the fact any sale is recognised as pure profit from a financial point of view. It means selling an academy star like Mainoo would have the greatest benefit to the club's balance sheet, though it would obviously come at the loss of a huge talent.

It must be stressed, Mainoo still has two years remaining on his current deal, plus the option of an additional year, so the club is under no pressure to sell him. However, with talks over a new contract at a stalemate, the Daily Mail claim Chelsea are in 'pole position' to sign the teenager if he is put up for sale.

Over the weekend, transfer expert David Ornstein warned United might have to sell one of their academy stars if they are to address their tight financial situation this month or in the summer window. “If a departure is going to happen [for Marcus Rashford], a sale in particular, maybe it’s more likely in the summer, but it would represent pure profit, something we hear about so much, because he was an academy graduate," Ornstein told NBC last week.

“In the same way that Kobbie Mainoo might be, he’s out of contract in 2027 – no news on a new deal. “Alejandro Garnacho too, I don’t think anybody in that bracket is off the table. Who is, is somebody like Leny Yoro, like Amad Diallo – I think they are untouchable. In terms of Amorim, Manchester United’s hierarchy, they fully support him; they back him to lead this transformation of the club.”