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Kobbie Mainoo ‘could win’ Golden Boy award at Manchester United, Alejandro Garnacho third favourite

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Manchester United starlets Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo are both amongst the top contenders for TuttoSport’s Golden Boy Award.

The award, handed out in December of each year, is highly regarded as an indicator of the best young talents in European football over the previous twelve months.

The current shortlist for the award has extended the possibility for Garnacho and Mainoo to follow in the footsteps of previous award winners such as Kylian Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland.

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Garnacho, 19, has had a momentous rise over the 2023/24 season, playing in all but two of the Red DevilsPremier League matches. With that, the Argentina international made 30 league starts, six times the amount he managed in the previous season. These performances have not gone unnoticed, with Garnacho currently the third favourite to win the award.

Meanwhile, after starring in United’s FA Cup-winning season under Erik ten Hag, Mainoo, who was named the Player of the Tournament earlier this week, is currently in seventh place on the shortlist.

Discussing how the rankings are decided, The Sun reports that Golden Boy founder Massimo Franchi admitted that despite currently sitting in 7th place, Mainoo may still win the award.

“The rankings are based on performances in the biggest games,” Franchi stated. “We have seen both Mainoo and [Adam] Wharton, very impressive and potentially in England’s squad for the Euros. Maybe they can do what Bellingham did last year.”

Also featured at the top of the list are two players Ineos is believed to have expressed an interest in bringing to Old Trafford: Lille’s Leny Yoro and Benfica’s Joao Neves.

Though, neither Mainoo nor Garnacho are the current favourites to win the award, no team has produced more winners of the award than Manchester United.

Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial, and Anderson all won the prestigious trophy while at United, but only Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund match the Red Devils’ record of generating three winners.

Additionally, ex-United player Paul Pogba was named the 2013 Golden Boy winner following his breakout season at Juventus.

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