Chelsea and Manchester United have had somewhat similar stories in the Premier League this season so far. Both clubs have failed to maintain their momentum for long periods and have squandered opportunities to be in better positions than they currently find themselves in the points table.
Both Premier League sides invested heavily in the transfer window to bolster their respective squads. Notably, Chelsea brought in Alejandro Garnacho from Manchester United following the Argentine’s fallout at Old Trafford.
Garnacho is slowly cementing his place in Enzo Maresca’s squad and has already made 16 appearances in all competitions this campaign. He has scored and assisted twice each for Chelsea so far.
Meanwhile, it seems the transfer business between the two Premier League giants might not end there. Another Manchester United player could be headed to Stamford Bridge in the near future if reports are to be believed.
'Whispers I’ve been hearing' - England international tipped to join Chelsea
Former Everton CEO Keith Wyness told Football Insider:
"I think it’s very unfair and I think that Mainoo, look, he’s a squandered talent in that sense. I just don’t think he’s, for some reason, he hasn’t caught [Ruben] Amorim’s eye. He thinks he doesn’t fit the style.
“I think that they decided that Adam Wharton is going to be one of their targets and I think that Mainoo may find himself reinventing himself at Chelsea.
“That’s where I see the situation going and that’s the whispers I’ve been hearing. I think it would be good for Mainoo. I think he needs to get out of there and move forward."
Mainoo, who rose to prominence under former Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag, has seen his playing time limited recently, as he does not seem to fit into Ruben Amorim’s plans. As a result, the English midfielder has managed just 273 minutes across all competitions this season and has made zero starts in the Premier League from his ten appearances.
In the summer, several major clubs showed interest in Mainoo, but Manchester United were reluctant to let the player leave. However, it seems they might have had a change of heart, which could open the door for Mainoo to join the Blues.
That said, Chelsea already have a stacked midfield with the likes of Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo, Andrey Santos, among others. So the management will have to plan ahead regarding how they would fit Mainoo into that equation before making any moves, if these speculations indeed end up being true. Incidentally, Romeo Lavia continues to struggle with injuries for the third straight season, and it might be worth considering moving on from him.