Manchester United lost their opening fixture of the 2025/26 Premier League season to last season's second-placed team, Arsenal. The match was hotly contested, with the consensus after the game being that United were largely unlucky to have received nothing from the match regarding points.
As is usually the case when United and Arsenal lock horns, much was taken away from the game. Altay Bayindir's weaknesses during corners, Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo's impressive debuts and an arguable penalty that the former should have received, as well as an awful cameo from Manuel Ugarte.
Ugarte's appearance in the game helped highlight the already noticeable absence of Kobbie Mainoo, a decision by Ruben Amorim that left many United fans utterly perturbed. Mainoo's future under Amorim is a topic that has been discussed before.
Rumours were floating around earlier this year that many clubs, namely Chelsea, were keeping a close eye on Mainoo and were prepared to pounce if the door was opened for his departure. These rumours were eventually quietened as news of Mainoo's negotiations for a new contract with United emerged.
Suspiciously however, there has not been any concrete clarity produced about the progress of Mainoo's contract negotiations since the early months of this year. The inconsistency of Mainoo's minutes last season, coupled with his complete absence from the pitch last Sunday, once again raised questions about Mainoo's long-term alignment with Amorim's system.
Where does Mainoo fit in the system?
One of the main areas of concern is Mainoo's viability within Amorim's system. Mainoo has played in the pivot, as a 10, and as a false 9 under Amorim, yet has not been able to lock down a starting place in the team. The additions of Cunha and Mbeumo push Mainoo even further away from starting even a few games as a 10.
The issue then becomes one of competition for a pivot place, most often occupied by the captain Bruno Fernandes and a defensive midfielder next to him like Casemiro or Ugarte. The common argument raised against Mainoo starting is that Fernandes is too important to drop, and Mainoo cannot perform in the same role as Casemiro or Ugarte.
While many would argue that the point about Fernandes' importance is true, the dismissal of Mainoo being able to play as the defensive midfielder next to Fernandes is unfair. Mainoo can easily be proifled as a complete midfielder, someone who can play as a 6, an 8, and a 10 when needed, as was the case during his days in the academy.
Many cite Mainoo's perceived lack of athleticism as a core reason why he is incapable of playing next to Fernandes, but this point becomes disingenuous when correctly recognising that neither Ugarte or Casemiro are objectively more athletic than Mainoo.
Casemiro is predominantly reliant on his defensive awareness and positioning, while Ugarte can cover a lot of ground but is not particularly strong in the duel or in shielding the ball. Mainoo provides a noticeable upgrade on Ugarte and Casemiro's weaknesses.
Mainoo may not have the decade-long defensive awareness of the all-time great in Casemiro, but as demonstrated in the games where Mainoo played as the deepest midfiedler (most notably his man of the match first start in the Premier League against Everton), his defensive instincts are at a Premier League standard.
United play better under Amorim when they take better care of the ball, and this will undoubtedly improve with midfielders who take better care of the ball.
Fernandes' mercurial nature is well known and has actually served him well for much of his career, which makes it all the more important that his adventurous tendencies are balanced out with a more mobile midfielder who reliably wins the ball back and takes care of it. This can be Mainoo if given the chance.
How will a new midfield signing affect Mainoo's minutes?
Like the Liam Delap saga, United placed all of their eggs into the basket of one player when targeting a midfielder this summer, Brighton's Carlos Baleba. United ultimately decided not to proceed with a deal for the Cameroonian international after Brighton reasserted that he was not for sale this summer unless an exorbitant fee was met.
Whether United do go for an alternative midfielder before the end of the transfer window remains to be seen and is very much uncertain. Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton was linked to United as a possible option, while the Spanish papers have heavily linked Sevilla's Lucien Agoume with a possible move to United as a much cheaper option.
If Amorim is truly steadfast in his belief that Mainoo is more of a Fernandes backup than a genuine option next to the skipper, then it is increasingly likely that a new midfield signing would only solidify Mainoo's place as Fernandes' backup.
Mainoo having to play more is indisputable
In a World Cup year, the pressure to perform greatly increases throughout the season, and Mainoo cannot rely on credit in the bank and limited minutes to impress if he wants to catch Thomas Tuchel's eye before all eyes focus on America next summer.
If Mainoo getting zero minutes in a big game becomes a regularity, then the repercussions could very well be more damaging than simply not playing a very talented player enough - United could risk that same very talented player seeking consistent minutes, and starts, somewhere else.