Man Utd’s transfer chase for Sandro Tonali is ramping up, but the bigger story is the Kobbie Mainoo factor amongst it.
The season still has eight more games to go for Man Utd, but Michael Carrick’s stunning revival has allowed them to start dreaming big.
Sandro Tonali is shooting up the ranks of Man Utd’s midfield targets, and the latest reports suggest the Italian is open to the move as well.
That’s a huge development, but the bigger story is the Kobbie Mainoo factor in it all, because it represents a 180-degree shift in sentiment.
Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali in action against Brentford in the Premier League.
Photo by Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
What are your thoughts on Manchester United’s supposed interest in Sandro Tonali?
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Kobbie Mainoo factor in Man Utd’s Sandro Tonali chase
It was less than a year ago that it emerged how Ruben Amorim was so convinced about Mainoo’s lack of suitability that United were willing to cash in on him.
No benefit of hindsight was needed to come to the conclusion that United were making a huge mistake, let alone making him available for £40m.
Not only has Mainoo made a mockery of that stance since Amorim’s sacking, but the midfielder wanted by everyone, Carlos Baleba, has become a forgotten man after a poor season.
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Less than a year since that development, Mainoo has gone from being a player United were willing to sell for £40m to being the centrepiece for a potential £100m Tonali move.
iPaper reports that a key reason why Tonali attracts the Man Utd board is that his box-to-box profile, work rate, and energy position him as the ideal partner for Mainoo.
That is as big an endorsement as it gets at Old Trafford, because it effectively signals that midfield signings are being made to play with Mainoo instead of replacing him.
Mainoo factor is bigger than the Tonali story
Tonali is undoubtedly a big player who will improve United, but the Mainoo factor is bigger in this development purely because of the opportunity cost.
How worried are you about Kobbie Mainoo not yet signing a new contract?
Kobbie Mainoo of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Fulham at Old Trafford on February 1, 2026
Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty Images
Mainoo could have been playing in another team’s kit right now, a thought that would make Man Utd fans sick to their stomach.
Had that happened, United would have lost Mainoo’s trust, all for a manager with a win rate of 31% in the Premier League.
In that case, they would have had to buy two world-class midfielders instead of one, and considering Mainoo’s performances, United wouldn’t be in a UCL race either.
Mainoo being restored as the pillar of that midfield has easily saved United at least £150m, considering how much it would cost to replace him, how valuable he would have become elsewhere, and the UCL qualification that would be in peril without him.
Normalcy has finally been restored after a time of madness. Mainoo has rightfully earned his untouchable status back.
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