Manchester United have reached a stunning decision regarding Kobbie Mainoo that affects Youri Tielemans, Andrey Santos and potentially Manu Kone too, after the Frenchman reportedly agreed terms with United.
Man Utd identified the middle of the park as the area that required the greatest attention heading into the summer transfer window.
Casemiro was let go via free agency and has since been unveiled by Inter Miami. United planned to sell Manuel Ugarte prior to the Uruguayan suffering an ACL injury at the World Cup.
Three new faces were on the agenda, with Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans arriving to the tune of £85m combined.
One more will arrive, and according to Corriere dello Sport, the final piece of the puzzle could be Manu Kone.
That’s because the Italian outlet are claiming Man Utd have agreed personal terms in principle with the Roma and France ace.
Whether United now ramp up a move and strike a club-to-club deal with Roma remains to be seen. However, Kone, along with Santos and Tielemans, might be a touch surprised to discover Man Utd’s plans for Mainoo.
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Man Utd make Kobbie Mainoo the main man
According to Ben Jacobs when speaking on TheUnitedStand, it’s Mainoo – not any of the new signings – who will be Man Utd’s undroppable midfielder next season.
And given Michael Carrick only deploys a two-man midfield with Bruno Fernandes locking down the No 10 role, that means Tielemans, Santos and the third signing will all be battling for just one spot.
Mainoo’s fortunes at club level have both soared and sunk since breaking into the first eleven.
Initially, he thrived under Erik ten Hag, won the man of the match award in the 2024 FA Cup final, and burst into England’s starting line-up at Euro 2024.
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His career nosedived with Ruben Amorim at the helm, with Mainoo even requesting a loan exit in the summer of 2025.
However, Carrick’s arrival and appointment as permanent manager has breathed new life into Mainoo’s Old Trafford career, and if Jacobs is correct, he’ll be the main man in the middle moving forwards, no matter who else arrives.