Kobbie Mainoo’s future is dominating every Ruben Amorim press conference right now, and the latest twist in the saga shows his contract isn’t what it seems.
Ruben Amorim has been making it pretty clear in recent weeks that Kobbie Mainoo faces an uphill task in getting into the Man Utd starting XI.
He has been so brutal about it, in fact, that he was willing to question the ability of the likes of Toby Collyer and Chido Obi publicly to make a wider point about the club’s academy.
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Ruben Amorim in Manchester United attire during loss to Everton.
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It all seems to be building up to a Mainoo request in January for changing clubs, but United in Focus spoke to GRV Media’s Head of Football Finance and Governance, Adam Williams, to reveal that Mainoo’s contract isn’t what it seems.
Kobbie Mainoo running for Manchester United.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
The twist in Kobbie Mainoo’s contract situation
For a long time now, the issue of Kobbie Mainoo’s contract has become an uncomfortable topic for Man Utd fans because he’s still on the deal he signed in 2023 when he was barely breaking out.
Since then, Mainoo has gone from strength to strength, even if the current campaign is a step back, so he’s justified in asking for improved terms.
That won’t be the case anymore because he’s not even playing regularly, but that very contract could also be keeping Mainoo’s options closed in January.
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That is because Mainoo was believed to be on about £30k/week, which meant United would effectively have to increase their wage bill to sign a replacement for him.
However, Adam Williams says Mainoo’s contract isn’t what it seems, with a potential £5m twist in costs far above the reported cost of £1.6m/year.
Push comes to shove: Would you rather have Kobbie Mainoo stay at Man Utd or Ruben Amorim?
Kobbie Mainoo and Ruben Amorim split
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He said: “I think how Ineos handle [Mainoo’s] situation will be a tacit judgement on how much faith they have in the manager. I would assume that, if they had full confidence that Amorim was their man for the long term, Mainoo would be out – and permanently, rather than a loan.
“In terms of the financial calculation that they will be making in January, you’re looking at how much United will be saving in wages. We can’t know exactly how much he is on without seeing his contract, but £30,000-a-week is about £1.6m annually.
“We know from the official figures the club reported in 2024-25 that the total wage bill was £313m. We know that first-team players make up the majority of that. Typically, the ratio is about 75 per cent. But conservatively, let’s say 70 per cent. That means the first-team wage bill is about £220m.
“There’s no way that Mainoo only accounts for less than one per cent of that figure. If you look at what other players are on, it’s much more likely that he’s on £70,000-100,000, which equates to about £3-5m per year.
“So if United signed, say, Connor Gallagher on loan, his wages are probably higher than the £140,000 or so that are reported [like Mainoo’s case]. Through that lens, a like-for-like swap that sees Gallagher come in on loan and Mainoo leave on loan would see an increase in overall costs for United.”
Williams adds that a creative loan deal, where the buying club covers more wages of Mainoo than United cover for his potential replacement, could drive the cost difference down.
However, January is a tough time to do business, so United might be better off keeping Mainoo and trying to make it work with Amorim.
Ruben Amorim could be about to soften Mainoo stance
Beyond just the financial costs of moving on Mainoo, there is footballing logic to making things work at Old Trafford, especially over the next month.
Amorim has already hinted at a move to a back four setup, and Mainoo will be delighted to hear the same.
With Bryan Mbeumo also leaving for AFCON, a space opens up in the No. 10 spot, making a straightforward decision for Amorim.
Common sense would dictate that Bruno Fernandes gets moved back up to attacking midfield, while Mainoo comes in alongside Casemiro in the pivot.
Mainoo can even play as a No. 10 because his close control and ability to get shots off near the goal are an underrated part of his game.
Either way, spots are opening up for Mainoo in the starting XI, and the player is doing himself no harm by impressing in cameos off the bench.
Amorim must soften his stance on the player and give him a fair opportunity in the weeks ahead.
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