The unthinkable could be happening, with Kobbie Mainoo linked with a Manchester United exit.
Manchester United supporters can overreact at times. Two games into the season, there is already a sense of panic.
But there is one thing I am not overreacting to, when I say that allowing Kobbie Mainoo to leave the club would be an unprecedented disaster.
Mainoo is being linked with a Manchester United exit after being snubbed in the first two games of the season, not selected for a single minute.
Kobbie Mainoo raises his arm after scoring
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
How did the Kobbie Mainoo situation get to this point
Kobbie Mainoo is said to be frustrated with his lack of playing time. He is not the only one. Manchester United fans are equally stunned that the midfielder has been totally omitted so far.
You could argue it has been coming. Mainoo was a peripheral figure in pre-season, and played only one minute in the Europa League Final. But that does not make it right.
Mainoo is Manchester United’s shining light, the beacon of the club’s academy, who should be the cornerstone of the future.
From making his first Premier League start in 2023, to scoring the winning goal in the 2024 FA Cup Final, Mainoo was on the path to greatness.
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He even started the Euro 2024 Final for England at the age of 19. Mainoo is a talent that should be cherished, not sidelined.
Even look back at the run that took United to the 2025 Europa League Final, the best moment was the sensational comeback against Lyon, and Mainoo played a pivotal part, coming off the bench to lead the charge.
Now amid exit speculation, Real Madrid are showing interest. That should tell you everything you need to know about Mainoo’s talent.
Paul Scholes famously said Mainoo was a better footballer than he was at the age he broke into the United team. He went on to have a truly iconic career.
Amid the ongoing credible transfer speculation Mainoo is considering an exit, there is only one more infuriating aspect about it – that Manchester United are actually considering allowing it.
I refuse to believe United would actually be this foolish, to allow the 20-year-old to leave.
This isn’t the amateur-hour Ed Woodward and Richard Arnold operation, Ineos are supposed to be the sensible adults who know how to run a football club. Their reputation would be immeasurably stained by allowing this transfer.
If he were playing in the Premier League for another club, Mainoo would be the kind of player United would be clamouring to sign.
Kobbie Mainoo runs off after scoring vs Lyon, with Harry Amass chasing him
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Mismanagement at Manchester United
Kobbie Mainoo is the kind of generational talent Manchester United should be building around, a player who should be nurtured and not seen as a financial asset.
If Ruben Amorim has concerns whether he fits into his system, then it is not Kobbie Mainoo who is the problem, it is his tactics. Any other coach would find a way.
It makes sense that Mainoo needs to be protected, and his minutes managed, but not to this extreme where he feels pushed out.
The player blocking Mainoo’s path is Bruno Fernandes, who is now 30-years-old, and likely to be subject of a major bid from the Saudi Pro League again next summer.
United will need a replacement. Where is the long-term thinking here?
The club is built on the foundations of academy talent, and is in danger of losing this identity. Yes, there will be other young players to come through, but what message does this send, when Kobbie Mainoo is treated in this way?
Mainoo’s contract is lingering concern, but his current deal runs to 2027 with an option to 2028. There is no reason to panic.
But really, this situation should have been put to bed a year ago. United should have tied up a contract extension for Mainoo in the summer of 2024, or even beforehand.
This is a problem that pre-dates Ruben Amorim and rests with Ineos, but of course, getting him to commit his future long-term to the club is a much harder sell now.
At time when Manchester United’s results are the worst for a generation, and Ineos dream of filling out a 100,000 capacity stadium, they need to keep the fans onside.
Selling off a wonderkid like Mainoo is the fastest way to disengage supporters. This would be the most disappointing exit at Manchester United in recent memory, and mismanagement on an epic scale.