Manchester City are set to make an audacious raid on rivals Manchester United for teenager Kobbie Mainoo, according to reports.
Mainoo is one of the most highly-rated stars in the English game and he received huge plaudits in midweek after a dazzling display for the club’s Under-21 side that saw him grab two assists.
The 18-year-old also impressed during pre-season and was named man of the match in a friendly match against Arsenal before being hit with an injury setback.
Now the midfielder is looking back to his best after recovering and City are now ready to make their move despite the rivalry between the two clubs, according to Four Four Two.
There is no indication whether United would even entertain a bid from one of their fiercest rivals, the report adds, and said there was no telling how much City would be willing to spend to lure him.
But it added that Pep Guardiola’s outfit had a commitment to developing young, talented stars – while United were suffering financial restrictions over financial fair play.
The Stockport starlet made his senior debut against Charlton in the Carabao Cup last season and won the FA Youth Cup with the academy.
He later played his first-ever game in the Premier League by coming on as a substitute in a 3-0 win against Leicester City.
Should City manage to complete a shock move for Mainoo, it would add to United’s woes after a turbulent season that has seen them lose five of their first ten Premier League games – including back-to-back 3-0 home losses against City and Newcastle.
However, in his recent press conference ahead of United’s trip to Fulham, Ten Hag cut an optimistic figure despite the rising pressure on his shoulders.
‘They (players) are positive,’ he said. ‘They want to put this right and we know the standards here. We have to match them every day, we’ve had two big setbacks, but we’ll fight back.
‘The dressing room is strong, the staff are strong and this manager is strong.’
He also stressed that his players were ‘hard to beat’ – despite their recent record providing evidence to the contrary.
‘I’m convinced in the long-term, they will be hard to beat, and they know how to do it,’ Ten Hag added.
