Young Manchester United and England star Kobbie Mainoo is reportedly unhappy with the terms of a new contract being offered to him, as Chelsea lead the charge to tempt him away from the club - but some Manchester Evening News readers in our comments section want him to stay, and hone himself into a midfielder that will be at Old Trafford for years to come.

Mainoo, 19, is under contract until 2027, having signed up to his current deal early in 2023. The academy player has proven to be a strong addition to the United squad, and played well for England at the Euros.

However he has only started 5 of Ruben Amorim's 12 games in charge of the club, with injury blighting some of the first half of the season. The Premier League's academy prospects have proven to be vulnerable in the era of Financial Fair Play, with homegrown players being considered as "pure profit" and representing a big windfall for clubs facing financial issues.

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Scott McTominay, Hannibal Mejbri, and Alvaro Fernandez are amongst the Manchester United academy players who have brought in "pure profit" in the past. However, United sources say they do not want to drive Mainoo out of the club.

Neither do the fans. Reader Wilber40 says: “Not going to lie, it would be extremely disappointing to let Kobbie go. BUT things can't get much worse for United at the moment (last famous words), so you have to ask yourself; would we be worse off if we got two Amorim type players during the summer for the fee? Personally, I think Kobbie is too young to be considering a move away. There's a risk of going elsewhere and fading. Knuckle down, learn your craft, dedicate yourself to becoming a part of a new United and a new system.”

Commenter Deanodo writes: “I think he knows the club that made him the player he is. I know it takes work and dedication of the player but he’s United through and through. He might feel he’s not getting the best deal but you’ve only got to look at other players on huge contracts not performing to see why. And FFP added to that, the club are being sensible.”

MickyFinn makes the comparison to other United big-money players: “Mainoo can look at players like Rashford, Casemiro, Shaw, Mount, Lindelof, Eriksen etc. all on huge wages, not contributing, and not be happy considering he’s one of the better players, if not the best performer over the last year. Utd should put him on £150k a week and tell him if he keeps improving, he’ll be a key player. It feels though that Utd are maybe trying to make out they have to cash in. Utd should be offloading Casemiro, Rashford and Lindelof, not players like Mainoo.”

Some fans would prefer not being pressured into making a big contract move. Toothpick writes: "From a club and business perspective, there is nothing wrong with his current agreement that he and his representatives committed to in 2023. Mainoo is still 19 years of age, and congrats to him for being a regular in the first team and in the England squad. This is exactly the reason why we mutually agreed on a new and extended contract last year.”

Tt84 says: “He has not warranted a contract of a definitive first team player yet. He quite possibly will, but he's not there yet. If at 19 years old he is playing off one club against the club that has put in the time to develop him, then off you pop. That's not what our club needs.

If he is just trying to get something more in line with a player who has improved since he was 17, then fine. But there is a line between what you have earned and being greedy, hopefully it is just the former.”

Have your say! Should Kobbie Mainoo commit himself to being part of the "new United" for years to come? Or is "pure profit" too good to pass up if things get difficult behind the scenes? Comment below, and join in on the conversation.