MU are blocking Mainoo and Zirkzee from leaving the team this winter.

Manchester United are expected to reject any offers from Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee to leave the club in the winter transfer window, a decision made amid concerns about a serious shortage of players during the Christmas and early 2026 period, when Bryan Mbeumo, Amad and Noussair Mazraoui will be busy with their national teams for the Africa Cup of Nations.

Context: The staffing challenge during the Christmas season

Since the start of the season, Mainoo and Zirkzee have had limited playing time, but they could become important rotation options when a busy schedule arrives. According to the personnel plan, MU is likely to be without three key players on the right flank: Bryan Mbeumo, Amad, and Noussair Mazraoui, due to international duty at the African Cup of Nations. This means manager Amorim faces the risk of lacking depth on the right wing and in attack.

In that context, the coaching staff decided not to let any players leave in the winter, prioritizing squad stability to avoid personnel disruptions.

Kobbie Mainoo: a rotational anchor in midfield.

Mainoo hasn't started a Premier League game since May. His only start this season was in the second-round defeat against Grimsby in the League Cup. Despite receiving loan offers before the summer transfer window closed, Manchester United rejected them, opting instead to keep the 21-year-old as their fourth-choice midfielder as a backup for the remainder of the year.

From a tactical perspective, keeping Mainoo allows Amorim to maintain continuity in the pressing block and passing structure during a busy schedule. A young midfielder with good physical fitness and positional discipline helps the team maintain distance and speed of ball circulation when rotating key players.

Joshua Zirkzee: a defensive midfielder in Amorim's system.

Zirkzee has only accumulated a total of 90 minutes from 5 appearances coming off the bench this season. Six months ago, he suffered a hamstring injury and missed the entire pre-season. With the arrival of Mbeumo, Cunha, and Sesko, the playing space for the former Bologna striker has further narrowed.

Coach Amorim doesn't see Zirkzee as a true center forward, instead often using him as an attacking midfielder. This role emphasizes his ability to link up play, hold up the ball, and stretch the opposing defense. During periods of personnel shortages on the right wing, an attacking midfielder can become crucial in connecting the midfield with the attack, creating a triangular passing combination and opening up overlapping runs for the full-backs.

Zirkzee himself was disappointed by the lack of playing time and had considered returning to Serie A in the winter. However, given the current strategy, MU has not changed its stance on keeping him.

Why did MU "lock the door" in the winter?

• There is a risk of a shortage of players on the right wing as Mbeumo, Amad, and Mazraoui are absent for the African Cup of Nations.
• The packed schedule during the Christmas and early 2026 period will require extensive rotation.
• Mainoo and Zirkzee offer different professional options for Amorim: a structural midfielder and an attacking midfielder who links the team up.

The numbers are noteworthy.

Short-term impact

Keeping Mainoo and Zirkzee gives MU more personnel and tactical options during this crucial stage of the season. The decision to block their departures in the winter transfer window is a precautionary measure, preserving squad depth to avoid being caught off guard by squad changes due to international duties and a packed schedule.

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