Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has pointed to one major factor as to why Kobbie Manioo isn’t getting much game time this season.
After becoming a breakout star last season, Mainoo has struggled to secure a regular starting spot so far in 2025-26, making just seven Premier League appearances with only 138 minutes played this season. With Napoli,  Newcastle and West Ham reportedly showing interest, Mainoo is pushing for a move in January to ensure consistent football and make a play for a place in Thomas Tuchel’s England World Cup squad. But Amorim has pointed to the lack of European football for restricting the playing time of certain members of the squad.
Amorim said: “We need to go to Europe because of everything. Our club needs to be in Europe, it’s hard to have a very, very good squad. Imagine for me to have Mainoo with that (many) minutes that he’s playing, he needs more games for me to make a rotation because, with one game (a week), it’s really hard. I have to take one of the guys that is playing to put another. When you have more games, you can divide, you can manage the group in a different way.
But the target doesn’t change. We have to go to Europe. To be in the top four is really hard for our moment, but we never know, we just need to focus on winning the next one.”
Following a woeful start, Man Utd have enjoyed an upturn in form in recent weeks which has eased fears over Amorim’s future. After finishing 15th last season and losing the Europa League final to Tottenham, hopes were high after summer signings, including Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, arrived. However, a slow start saw United sitting in 14th in September and included a humiliating Carabao Cup exit against Grimsby Town.
Amorim’s position came under scrutiny as he admitted to struggling with the pressure despite backed by co-owner sir jim ratcliffe ,his tactical ideas where questioned as united scrumbled around for consistency .However, a run of three consecutive league wins in October, for the first time in his tenure, has seen them climb the table.
Spending spree to continue?
United have spent close to £250 million ($328m) on players since Amorim’s arrived and he hasn’t ruled out additional signings when the window opens in January.
Amorim said: “A lot of things can happen. Even in our club, and you know that we have World Cup, some players are not playing, they will ask to leave, so I have to manage everything. We want to bring players, everyone here, we want to bring players that we can see a big future in Manchester United.
“We are not just buying one guy, because now we feel in December that we need this kind of player for now. No, it’s going to be, we want to buy players that we know we are not going to change a lot of times. So that is our idea. I don’t know what is going to happen, but of course we think about how we can improve the team, and in January the window is open, we can do something.”
