Kobbie Mainoo’s Man United future is in doubt ahead of the summer transfer window slamming shut in less than a week’s time.
George is a Senior Football Writer for the Manchester Evening News, mostly covering Manchester United. He previously worked for football.london before joining the MEN team in July 2021. As well as covering United, George is a Championship-enthusiast and co-hosts The Championship Chat Podcast (@Champchatpod24), which you can find on all major podcast platforms.
Kobbie Mainoo is yet to play in the Premier League this season.(Image: Daniel Bartel – Premier League/Getty Images.)
Ahead of Manchester United’s Premier League opener against Arsenal, there was a debate about who would partner Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
Following the additions of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo to the attacking ranks, it was inevitable Fernandes would be deployed as one of the two No.8s. He frequently dropped deep last season and was often more effective from the engine room.
Despite regressing in each of the last two Premier League campaigns, Casemiro was given the nod for the season curtain-raiser. He was tasked with keeping order in midfield.
Into the final year of his United contract and turning 34 next February, many believed the club should have pushed to sell the Brazilian this summer. Instead, he has started each of the Reds’ opening two games, having kept his place for Sunday’s stalemate at Fulham.
As a result of partnering Fernandes once again, Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo were on the bench for the second game running. And just like against Arsenal, Ugarte was the one called upon by Ruben Amorim during the second half while Mainoo was not.
It means the 20-year-old is still waiting to make his first Premier League appearance of the season. You would be hard-pressed to find anyone who predicted Mainoo would remain glued to the bench for United’s opening two games.
Although he has just under two years remaining on his contract at Old Trafford, the England international’s future at the club is in doubt. Amorim indicated last week that no progress has been made on tying him down to a new deal.
Amorim has struggled to settle on Mainoo’s best position since arriving at United, tasking him with playing as a No.8, a No.10 and even as a false nine. It is no secret he is a forward-thinking player, meaning, in Amorim’s defence, it is hard to justify playing him alongside Fernandes in the centre of midfield amid the duo’s attacking intentions.
Kobbie Mainoo’s future is in doubt.(Image: Matt McNulty/Getty Images.)
It is why Amorim had a point when he said after the draw at Craven Cottage that Mainoo and Fernandes are competing for the same role.
“He’s fighting for the position now with Bruno,” Amorim said. “And I change two midfielders. I let Mason Mount [play] there because we want to score a goal and when I changed I felt the team need to return to one holding midfielder near Bruno.
“So he (Mainoo) just needs to fight for the position with Bruno, as [it] should be at Manchester United. [Sometimes] he’s going to play with Bruno, but at the moment he’s fighting in training with Bruno for the position.”
With less than a week of the window left, United still want to sign a midfielder. They want a player of an athletic profile that can seemingly compliment Fernandes’ characteristics in the engine room.
The prospect of bringing in a suitable partner risks pushing Mainoo even further down the pecking order. And if that situation transpires, United, who still need to generate cash via sales this summer, could find themselves in a position where they are prepared to cash-in on a player who not all that long ago was considered as their crown jewel.
As a result of not currently being at the forefront of Amorim’s plans, United, if chief executive Omar Berrada’s comments about player sales are anything to go by, might be willing to cash-in on the academy graduate.
“When it comes to sales, we will do it purely on the basis of whether it helps improve the team or not, not for financial reasons,” Berrada said back in March.
Given Mainoo has played no part in United’s opening two games, the club may be prepared to sanction an exit if an avenue of opportunity opens up in the coming days.
If Amorim has no plans to play Mainoo in a prominent role, they should consider letting him go if the price is right. A player of his talent deserves to be playing.