Manchester United youngster Kobbie Mainoo's reported intention to snub a new contract offer could incite a backlash from fans, it has been warned. The 19-year-old midfielder made his mark in the 2023-24 season after progressing through United's youth ranks and earned an England cap last year, but has been linked with a summer exit from Old Trafford amid uncertainty over his future.
Mainoo's current deal runs until 2027, and according to The Guardian, he may turn down United's latest contract extension in favour of a transfer overseas. Ex-United goalkeeper Ben Foster has suggested that club officials might be inclined to sell Mainoo, who is reportedly valued at £70 million. Despite United's significant financial woes, the former England and Wrexham keeper cautioned that offloading Mainoo would provoke outrage among the fanbase.
Speaking on the Fozcast podcast, Foster branded the situation as "frightening" yet expressed sympathy for Mainoo's apparent decision to rethink his career path. "The state of things at United at the minute is that even Kobbie Mainoo is apparently looking to reject a new contract, which is just frightening," Foster said.
"In the last 20 to 25 years, have you ever heard of a young Man United player who's this highly thought of rejecting the chance to stay in the long term? If I was Mainoo, I'd want to go to a team that has got a real plan and a real strategy for the future, one that looks positive and upbeat, and where it looks like you could really forge a way at that football club.
"The fact is that the Man United hierarchy would probably look at that £70m and go, 'You know what, that's £70m profit - that would do a job'. Imagine what the fans will think of that. I think that would be the last straw, I genuinely do."
He added: "It would go off because Man United have always really got behind those homegrown players, and they've been a massive integral part. They're at the place now where they would rather just move them on for money and it's sickening."
In a candid BBC interview on Monday, United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe confronted rumours about selling key players head-on. The INEOS bigwig rejected the idea that the Red Devils might cash in on talents like Mainoo and his colleague Alejandro Garnacho, who are both rumoured to be on their way out.
Ratcliffe said: "No, no. We won't be selling players because of the state we are in financially. The way we are resolving the financial issue is to cut the...the club had got bloated so we reduced that and will finish it with a lean and efficient organisation.
"That's how we will address the costs. The player decisions are ones that Omar (Berrada), Ruben (Amorim) and Jason (Wilcox) - and a bit me - will make in the summer. And that will all be focused on how we are going to improve performance. That's all."