Kobbie Mainoo’s future at Manchester United has been under significant debate, with the club and the player yet to agree on a long-term contract.
While Manchester United are moving swiftly to overhaul their squad this summer, they also face the important task of securing the futures of key young players on long-term deals.
Rúben Amorim has made Matheus Cunha his first signing of the window, with the club also targeting Bryan Mbeumo and looking to add both a midfielder and a striker to the squad.
At the same time, United are open to offers for high-profile players such as Alejandro Garnacho and Rasmus Højlund, with Marcus Rashford, Antony, and Jadon Sancho also expected to leave.
Meanwhile, with Kobbie Mainoo’s current contract set to expire in 2027 and the youngster pushing for a new deal that reflects his rising status, uncertainty around his future is beginning to grow.
However, there are three reasons why United fans should not be overly concerned about Mainoo’s longer-term future at Old Trafford amid transfer speculation surrounding the player.
A new Mainoo contract is expected
Much of the speculation surrounding Mainoo has arisen because the player has still not signed a new deal, as United have not yet offered a fresh wage that would see the club increase his current £30,000-a-week deal to a figure that he feels reflects his importance at United.
After a stunning first campaign in the first team across 2023/24, the player only featured on 37 occasions due to injury and the good form of teammates, which kept him out of the starting XI under Amorim.
However, despite a compromise not yet being reached, journalist Ben Jacobs explained that the current expectation is that Mainoo will stay at United this summer and sign a new contract.
“My expectation is that Kobbie Mainoo stays at the football club and ends up signing a new deal,” Jacobs said earlier this week. “Certainly, the player – despite links with Chelsea – isn’t looking for a move away.”
Amorim has already started to adapt to Mainoo
Another concern fans have regarding Mainoo is that the United midfielder does not appear to have a clearly defined role in Amorim’s 3-4-3 formation, which has also been a sticking point in contract negotiations.
According to various reports, Mainoo is seeking direct clarification regarding his role and future position under Amorim before committing to a long-term future with United.
However, the two post-season fixtures in Southeast Asia have hinted that this role is becoming more defined. Mainoo’s best position under Amorim is undoubtedly as one of the two attacking midfield options.
While Amorim has used Garnacho as a wide player on the left, when Mainoo played, he was positioned very close to the striker, which is where the head coach likes his attacking midfielders to play, suggesting that Amorim sees a positive future for Mainoo in the starting team.
The arrivals of Cunha and others are not cause for concern
Finally, with Cunha being announced as the club’s first major signing of the summer and Bruno Fernandes staying as a deeper midfielder, there is a worry that Mainoo may drop in the pecking order and seek a move elsewhere to play more often.
However, even if United go on to secure Bryan Mbeumo as another attacking option, the fact that United are ditching Marcus Rashford, Antony, Garnacho, and Sancho this summer leaves Mainoo with plenty of space to fit into the squad.
As it should be at United, Mainoo will have to fight and train every day to secure himself and keep a starting spot, just as it should be at a big club, and with Amorim’s clearout leaving spots up for grabs in the team, Mainoo will finally have a chance to do just that.
The most significant reason for his lack of game time so far at United has been that Mainoo’s injuries last season came at a time when Amorim was getting to know his squad, so Mainoo was a few months behind his teammates in that respect.
However, with Mainoo now fit and rested ahead of pre-season, he will finally be on an even footing with his teammates once again and will undoubtedly be able to prove to the world why he is such a highly rated talent.
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