Deadlock: Chelsea in strong position to spring surprise in Manchester United transfer raid

Chelsea are reportedly the most likely club to pursue Kobi Maino if he ends up sealing a move away from Manchester United.

The talented young England international was a revelation for the Red Devils last season when he broke into the first team under previous manager Erik ten Hag and looks he will certainly be an important part of the club’s future.

However, it looks like Chelsea are moving on now Mainoo’s situation as the 19-year-old’s contract talks they are said to have reached an impasse, according to her publication Daily Mail.

Discussions begin! Manchester United star close to joining Euro giants

This story has come rather out of the blue, with Mainoo seemingly settled at United after his impressive start to life at Old Trafford, but it appears all may not be well behind the scenes.

Manchester United certainly cannot afford to lose Kobi Maino to Chelsea

United will surely be desperate not to lose a talented homegrown player like Mainoo to rivals Chelsea, so perhaps this link is put there to put pressure on the club to settle his new deal.

It will be interesting to see how this saga plays out, but Chelsea fans will likely be very excited as Mainoo would be another top young talent to add to their roster.

The west Londoners have done very well in recent times to land some of the best prospects in world football and Enzo Maresca has done an excellent job with these players this season.

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It’s not that obvious that Chelsea need Mainoo right now, though, as they already have a clear first-choice midfield partnership in the form of Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo, while Romeo Lavia is a very decent back-up option.

However, an opportunity like Mainoo would undoubtedly be enticing, so it seems he could be one to watch in the near future if contract talks do not progress.