Chelsea are interested in signing Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.
The 19-year-old was one of Erik ten Hag’s success stories at Old Trafford. The Dutchman gave opportunities to the youngster, and he delivered big-time.
Mainoo is a regular at Manchester United when he is fit, and he has shown his quality in England’s colours as well over the last year.
United see Mainoo as their future and they are desperate to keep hold of him, but there is a chance he could leave, and Chelsea are keeping a close eye on the situation.
However, the Blues may miss out on signing Mainoo for one key reason.
Kobbie Mainoo’s demands to join Chelsea
Mainoo knows that he is one of the best young midfielders in the Premier League.
The 19-year-old has delivered exceptional performances for club and country already, and there is no doubt that he will become even better in the coming years.
Manchester United have been trying to extend Mainoo’s contract for several months now, but there has been no agreement just yet.
TBR Football revealed in January that Mainoo and Manchester United are at a contract stalemate, and Chelsea are closely following the situation to see if they can pounce.
However, there is now a big stumbling block for the Blues.
GiveMeSport have revealed that ‘Chelsea are having doubts’ over whether they can sign Mainoo after finding out his wage demands.
It has been revealed that the England midfielder and his camp are pushing for a £180,000-per-week package, which would increase his current wages by nine times. That figure is even higher than what Cole Palmer currently earns at Stamford Bridge.
The report adds that there have been contacts between Chelsea and Mainoo’s representatives, but ‘it is increasingly likely that his lucrative demands will prove to be a stumbling block’ if a deal were to be discussed.
How much Manchester United are set to demand for Kobbie Mainoo
Mainoo’s wage demands are big, but what would complicate things more for Chelsea is the fee Manchester United would demand for their teenager.
The 19-year-old’s current contract at Old Trafford does not expire until the summer of 2027. United have an option to extend that by another year too.
That puts the Red Devils in a strong position in potential transfer negotiations, which is why they will not let him go for a small fee.
The report claims that ‘Chelsea will have to fork out in the region of £80 million in order to persuade Manchester United to cash in on Mainoo‘ this summer.
If that were to happen, Mainoo would become Chelsea’s fourth-most-expensive signing of all time behind Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romelu Lukaku.
