Kobbie Mainoo is the latest name to be linked with a move to Chelsea, with Manchester United said to be considering selling the teenage midfielder.

football.london understands the Blues have a long-standing interest in Mainoo - but at the moment, it is nothing more than a fondness from the west London club. Reports on Tuesday broke out that United are considering selling both Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho as they look to comply with the Premier League's Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) by offloading two of their academy products.

Mainoo burst onto the scene last season for United and he swiftly established himself as one of the country's brightest young talents. However, this season, the 19-year-old has been criticised for his performances, although he starred in United's 2-2 draw with Premier League leaders Liverpool at Anfield over the weekend.

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The Stockport-born midfielder, who has been with United since the age of seven, would add plenty of dynamism and energy to the Chelsea midfield, if he was to sign. At the moment, the Blues have Enzo Fernandez, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia as their three go-to central midfielders with Enzo Maresca rotating between the trio in the Premier League this term.

Quite often, we see a full-back, whether that be Marc Cucurella from the left or Malo Gusto from the right, tuck into the centre of midfield when Chelsea are in possession to form a double pivot with Caicedo. Fernandez, meanwhile, would move up the pitch and become a No.10 alongside Cole Palmer; perhaps something we would see Mainoo do if Chelsea were to complete the sensational signing of the teenage talent.

Maresca, who started to get the best out of Fernandez last month, has a very clear idea of what he wants from someone in this position. Speaking in November, Maresca said: "I still trust Enzo. There is not any reason in the world I can lose confidence in him. The reason why he is not playing in the Premier League is because at this moment I take a different decision.

"In this moment, I know you are looking for some different reasons for Enzo [not starting], but it is very simple. He is not playing in this moment, we have so many games, he's going to play, for sure, in the future. And it doesn't mean Romeo [Lavia] and Moi [Caicedo] are always going to play.

"At the moment one of them drops [their levels], probably we will change it. It is a matter of balance. Romeo and Moi give us physicality and strength in the middle. This is why we found the option of Malo [Gusto] in the pocket.

"Otherwise, when we play with Enzo it has to be with one of Moi or Romeo, and Enzo moves forward we struggle in the middle for physicality. At the moment, that's something Moi and Romeo give us, but it doesn't mean for one game we can't play with Joao [Felix] and Cole [Palmer] in the pocket. It depends on the game."

A couple of months prior, Maresca spoke more specifically about what he expects from Fernandez, or perhaps Mainoo in the future. He said: "I think it is very difficult in the way we play to find a midfielder that can attack like an attacking midfielder and defend like a holding midfielder.

"For instance, Arsenal are using Declan Rice as an attacking midfielder on the ball and as a holding midfielder when defending. Man City, in the past, have done this with Ilkay Gundogan.

"In our case, we are trying to find the balance and find the players who can give us this kind of solution. At the moment, Enzo is the only one. When we have the ball, he is like an attacking midfielder, and is dropping next to Moi when we don't have the ball to help us and give us defensive balance."