Ruben Amorim has insisted that he wants Kobbie Mainoo to stay at Manchester United amid reports linking him with a move to Chelsea.
The Red Devils have been rocked by speculation that Mainoo could be about to leave, with Chelsea said to be weighing up a surprise bid.
They have an interest in the teenage playmaker but would need to offer a nine-figure fee to test United's resolve, according to The Independent.
Amorim was quizzed on Mainoo's future in Friday's press conference, with the 39-year-old making it clear that he will not be happy if the midfielder departs.
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"I really like all my players, especially those from the academy," he said. "My players are all my favourites. I really love my players and I want to keep the players, especially the talented ones, the players to build this club around.
"Like I said, it is a special moment in this club, it is a hard moment, but I am really happy Kobbie is improving."
At the moment, there is nothing to suggest that Mainoo is close to leaving United, but the Red Devils will face a nervous wait to see if Chelsea firm up their interest before the end of the window.
Amorim was also asked if Marcus Rashford could stay at Old Trafford despite the forward wanting to make a fresh start elsewhere. However, the United boss would not be drawn into giving a conclusive answer.
"We will see," he said. "Let’s focus on the game. They are available, they are training. We will see the selection for the game."
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United will be hoping for a morale-boosting win over Arsenal in the FA Cup this weekend, with Amorim not intending to deploy a weakened side.
"At this moment, I am living day-by-day," he explained. "We had one week without a game. It does not make sense for me to rest players now and play both games really near. We have to win and follow the last performance.
"We are in a difficult moment. We are improving, we will put out the best team to try to win. I will choose the best team to win. We want to win the cup.
"Sometimes it is better to win this type of game and have less time to rest. We just to win this game and then we will think about the next."
