Kobbie Mainoo has been struggling at Manchester United so far this season and one ex-player has been commenting on the midfielder’s situation.
Kobbie Mainoo has had a challenging start to the season at Manchester United, as he appears to be on the periphery of Ruben Amorim’s plans.
United have persisted with their 3-4-2-1 formation, leaving Mainoo directly competing with captain Bruno Fernandes for minutes.
As a result, the 20-year-old has played just 170 minutes across eight Premier League matches and is still waiting for his first league start. His only full 90-minute outing came in a Carabao Cup loss to Grimsby Town.
With the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, those around Mainoo believe he urgently needs regular game time to earn a spot in Thomas Tuchel’s England squad. The midfielder has therefore requested a loan move multiple times this season in hopes of securing more consistent opportunities.
What United would do if Mainoo played for another club
Former United midfielder and fellow academy graduate Nicky Butt has been speaking about Mainoo’s situation during an interview with Sky Sports and admitted he is ‘worried’ about the youngster’s situation.
“Yeah I am worried about him because he’s a superstar, he got into the England team at 18 or 19 and was one of the best performers in the Euros for us,” Butt explained.
“He’s come through the academy at Man United since the age of seven, he was there when I was there, I’ve known him as a person, as a young boy and now a young man.”
Butt also made an interesting point about Mainoo, and claimed that United would be looking to sign the midfielder in the upcoming transfer windows if he played for another club.
“I know the talent that he has got and the scary thing for me is that if Kobbie Mainoo was playing for Crystal Palace… Man United would go and buy him for £60-70 million, guaranteed,” continued Butt.
“It is alarming that he’s not playing a lot. I don’t know the reasons why, I don’t know the background story of it. All I know is he’s a talented player and if he was at any other football club, bar Man City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea where it’s hard to get players out of; Man United would be in for him in January for £50-60 million.”
Amorim must not waste Mainoo’s talent
It is hard to argue against Butt’s point when you look at the players United want to sign next summer. Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson were both watching on as Mainoo started for England at the Euros last year.
They were not in the same form as the United youngster but suddenly they seem to have surpassed him. But would that have happened if Mainoo was playing every week like he did in his first full season.
Instead, it does feel like he has taken a step backwards and he doesn’t seem as confident when he comes on the pitch, but that is also a product of him not starting a single game in the league this year.
Anderson and Wharton are great players and ahead of the United midfielder right now but that doesn’t mean that they are better than him and Amorim cannot underestimate the talent he has at his disposal.
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