EPL: Scholes tells Mainoo to leave Man United for Chelsea
Paul Scholes has urged Kobbie Mainoo to walk away from Manchester United, and join Chelsea, warning that the midfielder’s development is being stifled under Ruben Amorim’s leadership.
The 20-year-old has made just ten Premier League appearances this season, all from the bench, and has now lost his England spot to Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson.
Scholes: “He should go to Chelsea all day long”
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast with Nicky Butt, Scholes said Mainoo should not hesitate if Chelsea come calling.
The United legend argued that the youngster needs regular minutes and criticised the club for mishandling his progress. He claimed Mainoo will be thrown into a game without rhythm, underperform, and be used as a scapegoat.
Paul Scholes tells Kobbie Mainoo to join Chelsea amid United development struggles – Getty image
Scholes highlighted the midfielder’s pedigree, an FA Cup final winning goal and heavy involvement at the Euros, insisting he has already shown enough quality to command trust.
He also accused the hierarchy of lacking understanding of United’s identity and suggested Mainoo outperforms Casemiro in training.
Butt: “He’s lost 18 months of development”
Nicky Butt agreed that Mainoo needs to leave, stating the club has already cost him significant growth.
While he admitted a move to Chelsea would feel “embarrassing” for United, he acknowledged the Blues’ ongoing strategy of building a strong, youthful core, a setup Mainoo could easily slot into.
Scholes questions Amorim’s suitability
Scholes also doubled down on his criticism of Ruben Amorim, insisting the manager does not understand the club’s culture or expectations.
He said United has always been about risk, attacking football, and entertainment, arguing that the current setup doesn’t reflect those values.
He questioned the vision of key decision-makers such as Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox and pointed to Amorim’s preference for a back-three system as a poor fit for United’s long-standing identity.
