Chelsea in 'pole position' after Mainoo contract talks stall at Man Utd — report

Yesterday at 02:25 PM

BOOM

It's been a relatively quiet January so far at Chelsea, just as expected, despite our growing concerns at center back, but the Daily Mail have seen fit to disrupt our peace with a rumorbomb of epic proportions. Chelsea are in "pole position" to sign Kobbie Mainoo whose representatives "have reached a stalemate in contract talks" with Manchester United, thus "alerting Europe's top clubs to the fact he could be sold this month or at the end of the season".

So. Welcome, Kobbie!

Obviously, this is a whole lot of speculation and very little actual substance, with Chelsea (and the other "top clubs") clearly positioned as leverage by Mainoo's representatives. That said, the 19-year-old does want a new contract with a healthy payrise on the deal he signed back in February 2023, before he become a first-team regular and a full-time England international, and he has been in talks about it for a while, but without reaching an agreement. Given the mess at United, on and off the pitch, it's not inconceivably that he would be willing to jump ship if some lucrative offers were presented.

Chelsea may not be paying top dollar in wages anymore, but the incentivized structure in place now should be able to attract the best young talent in the world.

Come on over to the dark side, Kobbie!