Manchester United have no issue producing great young talents initially, as their academy has been known for generating plenty of hyped footballers who, at least at the beginning, look like future Premier League stars.
Marcus Rashford is one prominent example, and while he has finally flamed out and latched on at Aston Villa on loan in one last effort at Premier League relevancy, there is another more recent example worth circling.
Defensive midfielder Kobbie Mainoo was one of the few genuine bright spots for Manchester United last season, and he was the reason for their qualification for the Europa League via winning the FA Cup against crosstown rivals Manchester City.
Mainoo immediately became an England international and the next big hope for Manchester United in midfield. But this season, injuries and inconsistent performances have slid the 19-year-old far down a pecking order that includes hyped summer 2024 defensive midfield signing Manuel Ugarte – a promising young talent from Uruguay.
Kobbie Mainoo could be gone next year
Now, there’s a strong chance Mainoo isn’t even a Manchester United player by this time next year, if the tea leaves of the transfer rumor mill are to be believed this spring.
According to a report from The Guardian, Kobbie Mainoo plans to reject Manchester United’s latest contract offer in these dragged out negotiations and plans on making a transfer abroad.
The decision is, presumably, to make the most money possible, which is a strong-headed move for a young player to make. Obviously, Saudi Arabia can offer the most money, because it’s unlikely that the top teams in LaLiga and Serie A will be able to afford what Manchester United are willing and able to, especially with no incentive to keep a talent who is not their own homegrown player.
Perhaps Mainoo is doing this all as an agent-driven ploy to extract more money out of Manchester United, but since Mainoo isn’t doing a whole lot right now and Man United are more stingy with their money now – at least, they should be – this ploy could backfire and lead to Mainoo playing somewhere below his level.
Because not even PSG look likely to make a move, as they – and other truly top clubs in the Champions League – have better and more sure-fire midfield options than a talented but still very much unproven Mainoo.
This season, Mainoo has started 15 Premier League matches with a WhoScored rating of 6.54, making him one of the least impactful starters at his position in the entire Premier League.
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.