Ruben Amorim in Chicago ahead of Manchester United's Premier League Summer Series match against Bournemouth | Patrick McDermott/Getty Imagesplaceholder image
Ruben Amorim in Chicago ahead of Manchester United's Premier League Summer Series match against Bournemouth | Patrick McDermott/Getty Images | Getty Images
Man United failed to sign Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba this summer as the South Coast club priced them out of a deal.
Ruben Amorim decided to play Casemiro alongside Bruno Fernandes in the opening game against Arsenal on Sunday, but it is understood that the United manager would still like a holding midfielder before the end of the transfer window.
However, as the Red Devils have already spent over £200m this summer, they may not be able to afford to buy a new midfielder, so Amorim should consider looking at players in his current squad to fill that role alongside Fernandes.
Amorim should play Kobbie Mainoo next to Fernandes
One of the more puzzling situations at Old Trafford is the status of Kobbie Mainoo, who emerged as a real breakout star under Erik Ten Hag, but hasn’t had the same level of game time under Amorim, and it is hard to figure out why.
Mainoo is a consistent performer, and actually plays a very similar game to someone like Baleba, so why then is Amorim not playing him? Mainoo didn’t feature in the opening game against Arsenal, and that would be a decision that former Man United midfielder Paul Scholes will disagree with.
After his goal in the 2024 FA Cup final, Scholes said: “He's the nearest thing I've seen to Zidane in taking a ball, receiving the ball, cruising past people. The way he received the ball with confidence; I just couldn't believe such a young player could do that.”
It does beg the question, why did United go after Baleba, when they already have a quality, young defensive midfielder, who is only going to get better with more game time. Amorim should play Mainoo next to Fernandes instead of Casemiro like he did on the opening day.
What has Mainoo said about his Man United role?
The 19-year-old made just 25 Premier League appearances last season, which doesn’t seem enough considering that Manuel Ugarte was poor, and Casemiro is 33, and very inconsistent in his levels of performance.
He has hinted that he is unhappy with a lack of minutes, as Mainoo said on TNT Sports during last season: “I’m just happy to be on the pitch for Manchester United wherever the manager needs me to play.”
If Ruben Amorim continues to play the likes of Casemiro and Ugarte ahead of Mainoo, the English midfielder could begin to get unsettled at Old Trafford and push for a move away, which would be a huge mistake by Amorim and a big loss for Manchester United.
The manager simply has to consider the 19-year-old moving forward as it doesn’t look like they will be bringing in a defensive midfielder before the end of the transfer window.
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