United's duo takes escape route from Old Trafford, one of them follows Hojlund?

In his 95 games at Man United, Rasmus Hojlund scored only 26 goals. "Only" because the public in England expected much more from the player on whose arrival the Red Devils splurged €77.8 million two years ago.

Still, considering the Dane's ongoing spell at Napoli, the impression is that his below-average days at Old Trafford weren't entirely his fault. In just six appearances for the Italian champions, Hojlund netted four times, hinting at an instant end of his scoring crisis once he left United.

However, another two Red Devils' players reportedly expressed desire to leave the Theatre of Dreams, while one of them could use Hojlund's escape route. Namely, according to ESPN, the Premier League side is in talks with Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee regarding their eventual moves in the upcoming January Transfer Window. The Neapolitans are allegedly keen on the midfielder, while the striker drew the attention of several other Serie A clubs as well as West Ham.

The duo has clocked 291 minutes combined since the beginning of the season, spending an average of 20-30 minutes on the pitch. Moreover, neither of them has started a single game in the current campaign, which is a clear sign that Ruben Amorim hardly counts on them.

Both Zirkzee and Mainoo are reportedly afraid of their national team statuses, as the Dutchman played his last game for the Netherlands in November 2024, while the Englishman's last match in the Three Lions' jersey came a month before. With the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaching, it's no wonder they'd like to seek playing time elsewhere.

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Interestingly, Mainoo's eventual departure could break United's 88-year-long tradition! Namely, the Red Devils have had at least one academy player in their squad in every matchday since 1937. In their last EPL clash against Sunderland, the 20-year-old midfielder was the only one who kept this tradition alive.

Commenting on the matter in September, Amorim claimed he was aware of the club's legacy.

"We want to maintain it. The past of Manchester United is built on kids. I don't want to be the guy that breaks that," the Portuguese said via ESPN.

However, considering Mainoo's current status on the team, the tactician has hardly backed up his words with actions.