The summer 2025 transfer window could spell the end of Kobbie Mainoo’s run at Manchester United after just two seasons in the first team as a promising homegrown player.
But Mainoo is holding out for an awful lot in wages, and while some have guarded optimism that eventually cooler heads will prevail, there’s a worry that Manchester United are getting fed up with the situation.
Mainoo was a welcome breakout star in the 2023/24 season, playing a vital role in Manchester United salvaging European qualification out of the campaign by beating crosstown rivals Manchester City – the Premier League champions – in the final of the FA Cup.
However, the 2024/25 season has been a nightmare for Mainoo, who is on the periphery of the squad and has looked disinterested on the pitch as part of a disorganized Man United squad that has been even worse.
If Mainoo is sold this summer, Manchester United would like to do so for a sum of 70 million pounds in return, according to a report from the Manchester Evening News.
Mainoo is a talented box-to-box defensive midfielder and is only 19 years old, but it’s hard to envision anyone being willing to spend 70 million pounds on him this summer.
For starters, he has been poor this season. Secondly, his high wage demands are going to scare off anyone else from spending a huge transfer fee on top of whatever salary Mainoo is demanding.
Joe Soriano covers West Ham for Green Street Hammers and writes about Real Madrid for The Real Champs. He has extensive experience covering world football since 2014. Joe is an editor for The Trivela Effect, where he covers the biggest clubs in European football. He has watched professional sports regularly since 2002 and can be found playing the same sports he covers with his friends.