Manchester United are having a multitude of problems both on and off the pitch. But fans of the club are at least excited that their famous academy is still full of talented youngsters who can be of service in the coming years.
One of the emerging talents to get into the first team is Kobbie Mainoo, who is a talented English midfielder. But Manchester United fans are now even worrying about him after a transfer rumor for the player emerged.
Kobbie Mainoo player profile
Kobbie Mainoo was born in 2005 in Stockport, England and is just 18 years old. He has both English and Ghanaian roots but has represented the former at youth levels. He joined the academy at just 9 years old and has been there till now. He signed his first contract in May 2022 and was first called up for team training in October of the same year. His first squad inclusion was on the 16th of the same month, against Newcastle United.
Kobbie Mainoo made his first appearance on January 10, 2023, as a starter in a 3-0 win over Charlton Athletic in the EFL Cup. He would make his Premier League debut against Leicester City as a substitute on February 19, which they won 3-0. Since then, he has only made 3 appearances for the club, which total only 87 minutes, struggling to get into the lineup.
He was expected to get more minutes this season, as he was part of Erik ten Hag’s squad on the pre-season tour in the United States this season. He even impressed there, scoring a goal against Cadiz. However, he suffered injuries that have kept him out of the squad.
The English youngster has a Carabao Cup medal, which United won last season. He was part of the 2022 FA Youth Cup win, where he played a pivotal role. It was the club’s first FA Youth Cup win in over a decade. The 18-year-old is also the proud winner of the Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year last season, which is the award given out by the club for the best young player of that season.
City reportedly interested in United youngster
But it seems that United are even about to lose this talented youngster from their grips as well. To add to their heavy misfortune, it is their neighboring rival club Manchester City who are interested in making Kobbie Mainoo switch to the blue side of Manchester.
The youngster is considered one of the best talents to come out of the academy in recent years. He is best known for his technical ability and his vision on the pitch, and he has been compared to Paul Pogba. It was expected that he would eventually become a regular starter at United, starting this season. But injuries have prevented that so far.
Seeing that he is one of the world’s most exciting talents, the are keen to bring him in. United’s dismal situation is in start contrast with their rivals, who are succeeding in every field. It is yet to be seen if United even hold talks for the players, and how much City would even pay for him. Mainoo does have a long term contract, which is unspecified for how many years. While he valued at just ÂŁ800k by renowned transfer website Transfermarkt.
Currently, the player is injured so United will have to prepare for their next game without him, which is against Copenhagen away in the Champions League on Wednesday.
