Former Chelsea forward Joe Cole has shared one reason why Manchester United would sell their academy product Kobbie Mainoo to the Blues.

Man United have been a hot topic this season. A threat of relegation emerged after a dreadful run of results and their dire financial situation.

A bleak financial outlook saw Mainoo get strongly linked with a move to Chelsea to help alleviate the situation.

Mainoo burst onto the scene in 2023 under Erik ten Hag and quickly became a key player at Old Trafford. He earned a spot in the England squad and was on the plane to the 2024 Euros.

He was linked with Chelsea in January when Man United's financial woes hit the headlines. According to the Financial Fair Player rules, academy players represent 'pure profit' therefore lucrative to sell, per Football London.

Reports in Manchester indicate the 19-year-old could leave the club in the summer.

Man United are preparing for a huge transfer window. They will likely make wholesale changes to their squad which has underperformed this season.

New boss Ruben Amorim will probably be aiming to sign players that fit his 3-4-3 system. Joe Cole said Man United will have to sell their academy graduate for business reasons.

"There’s no way that Manchester United will want to sell Kobbie Mainoo from a technical and football perspective, but if they do sell him, it will be a financial and business decision," he said via Metro Sports.

"He’s an England international and one of their better players, so the club looking to sell him will purely be to balance the books," he added.

Mainoo is seen by many fans as the future of the club and selling him would elicit angry reactions. Amorim calmed fans down with his stance on Mainoo.

"Our idea is always to keep the best players and the players that we build for this club. But we know the position that this club is in at this moment. I really like our players, especially from our academy," Amori said via Standard Sports.

He has made 60 appearances for the first-team and scored in the FA Cup final which they won under Erik ten Hag.

His athleticism has been questioned by pundits but many believe his technical ability offset that.

earlier reported that Wayne Rooney named two players who are worth keeping at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils legend named captain Bruno Fernandes and Mainoo, stressing that the rest should be up for sale.

Source: TUKO.co.ke