Manchester United’s pre-season tour of the USA has drawn to a close and there is a real air of positivity around the club compared to the feelings one month ago.
Two wins and a draw sees Ruben Amorim bring his team back to Manchester ahead of the first Old Trafford clash of the season against Fiorentina on Saturday.
Amorim has overhauled Manchester United’s tactical set-up, with the 3-4-2-1 looking better and better every time it is on display.
United are close to adding Benjamin Sesko to the team which is yet another huge improvement on what is currently in place, which will only strengthen confidence that 2025/26 is going to be a strong campaign.
Several players have been staking claims for themselves to be heavily involved in the upcoming campaign with Patrick Dorgu emerging with world-class form as this pre-season, which is a massive boost at wing-back.
However, another player has went from lost under Amorim to showing signs of unleashing his ultimate potential.
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo against West Ham in pre-season.
Photo by Jordan Bank – Premier League/Premier League via Getty Images
Kobbie Mainoo has shown Manchester United he has qualities to be a central midfielder
So much has been made around the future of Kobbie Mainoo at Manchester United.
The academy graduate is a supremely talented midfield, however failure to nail down a spot under Amorim last season has led to a summer of Mainoo being linked with a United exit.
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Mainoo regressed during the 2024/25 season due to a variety of factors including fitness and positional factors, with Rio Ferdinand urging Amorim to build around Mainoo.
This is the view most United supporters have of Mainoo, however, without showing it under Amorim, it would be difficult for the super talented youngster to expect to be treated as such, which made pre-season so important.
Amorim has demanded improvement from Mainoo and he has shown exactly that over in the USA, with the 20-year-old showcasing improved passing and has returned to his nimble self which made him so beloved initially by fans during his breakout 2023/24 campaign, allowing strong displays in the number eight role.
Despite positive signs, Mainoo has no real avenue to being a first team starter this coming season, with Bruno Fernandes likely ahead of him in the pecking order due to the business done by United.
However, the strong performances against Bournemouth in particular showed Amorim that he can play that position, albeit plenty of improvement is needed.
The coming season will be huge for Mainoo, but it is now clear that if Amorim wants Mainoo to reach his potential, it will come in the number eight role rather than number 10.
Kobbie Mainoo can nail down starter role over course of the 2025/26 season
Starting over Fernandes right now sounds incredible far fetched, but the club captain turns 31 in September and won’t be able to play with his uber intense style for the entire campaign.
This means when he is rested, Mainoo will have the chance to impress and if he does, next summer could bring a whole new landscape.
Mainoo is expected to sign a new contract at United, and by this time next year, Fernandes could have been sold to Saudi Arabia, with the Portuguese star wanting to stay until after the 2026 World Cup.
So over the course of the coming season, Mainoo can develop his game and evolve into being the midfielder that fans want him to be and take the mantle next summer.
Mainoo might be in an uncertain position right now, but his performances in pre-season will have shown Amorim how he can extract the best from the midfielder, and it will be over the coming months we see whether he can truly make himself at home in the role.