The Tragedy of Kobbie Mainoo at MU

01/12/2025 08:50:00 FieldFrenzy

Just 18 months ago, Kobbie Mainoo was regarded as the shining hope for MU’s future after scoring the winning goal in the 2024 FA Cup final and then starting all three key knockout matches at EURO 2024 for England.

1. But by the end of November 2025, all that was in the past. Mainoo has accumulated only 138 minutes in the Premier League this season, started just one match across all competitions (a shocking defeat to Grimsby Town in the League Cup), and has almost completely disappeared from coach Ruben Amorim’s plans.

The fundamental reason lies in the tactical philosophy Ruben Amorim brought from Sporting CP to Old Trafford. The 3-4-2-1 formation with two central midfielders demands one player to have exceptional playmaking skills, almost like a "number 8.5" or a deep-lying "number 10." That role currently belongs to Bruno Fernandes, the captain and playmaker, who holds the greatest influence on the team and is one of the rare players never publicly criticized at United. Amorim has openly said in many press conferences: "Kobbie is competing for a position with Bruno."

It is an unfair contest. Bruno, aged 30, is at the height of his career, consistently scoring and assisting, and also serves as captain. Although Mainoo is excellent at evading pressure, dribbling in tight spaces, reading the game, and maintaining possession under intense pressure, he is still judged as "not experienced enough" to replace the Portuguese senior. The consequence: since Amorim took over (11/2024), Mainoo has started only 16 of 55 matches across all competitions. Previously, under Ten Hag, he started 27 of the last 28 matches in the 2023/24 season.

2. MU legends also cannot remain silent. Nicky Butt, who worked closely with Mainoo when managing the academy, said on Sky Sports: "I worry about him because Mainoo is a true superstar. If he played for Crystal Palace or any team outside the Big 6, Manchester United would immediately pay £50-60 million to buy him back. Having such a talent on the bench is a tremendous waste."

Paul Scholes was even more outspoken: "One of the most disappointing things this season is seeing Kobbie Mainoo not being utilized. We all know how talented he is, but for some reason, the coach does not trust him."

Kobbie Mainoo’s future at MU is very uncertain.

Even Manuel Ugarte, who has been performing so poorly that Amorim publicly criticized him, still gets twice the playing time of Mainoo. This leads many to question: Is Amorim favoring players he has previously worked with (Ugarte, previously Casemiro) rather than trusting academy talents?

3. Since Thomas Tuchel took charge at the start of 2025, Mainoo has been left out of all five recent squad call-ups. Declan Rice, Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton, and even the new talent Alex Scott have all been preferred over him. At age 20, Mainoo faces the risk of missing the 2026 World Cup.

Therefore, at the end of the 2025 summer transfer window, Mainoo formally requested to leave on loan. Napoli is the ideal destination, as it is where Scott McTominay has played the best football of his career, and Rasmus Hojlund also flourished after leaving MU. Though Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the board rejected the deal at the last moment, Mainoo has fully approved the move and is ready to depart in January 2026 if the situation does not improve. Napoli is negotiating a loan with an option to buy, with an estimated fee of £45-50 million.

The bigger risk for MU: if Mainoo leaves, the 88-year streak of having at least one academy graduate in the matchday squad (now over 4,330 matches since October 1937) will officially end. Recently, only Mainoo has carried that responsibility.

If MU continues to uphold the stance of "club interests above all" without changing their player management, it is very likely that in January 2026 we will witness Kobbie Mainoo quietly leaving Old Trafford. At that point, not only will Mainoo lose the best years of his career, but MU will also have discarded a "precious gem" they took decades to find.

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