- Kobbie Mainoo is ready to sign a new Manchester United contract
- Will keep him at the club until 2031
- Comes after an extended period of uncertainty for the midfielder
After a tumultuous 14 months at Manchester United, life seems sweet once again for starboy Mainoo.
After breaking into Erik ten Hag’s squad in the 2023/24 season, Mainoo rose through the ranks, eventually locking down a starting role.
His name carved its place into the club’s folklore when he swept home United’s second in the 2024 FA Cup final, a decisive strike that would end up being the winner.
But after a poor start to the 2024/25 season, Erik Ten Hag was dismissed, and new manager Ruben Amorim reshaped the midfield, prioritising Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte, often shifting Fernandes out of position rather than turning to Mainoo.
Across Amorim’s 46 Premier League games in charge, Mainoo would play just 1294 minutes of football—less than 30 minutes per match.
But now, after months of uncertainty, it appears Mainoo is set to stay, with the midfielder preparing to sign a new deal that would keep him at Manchester United until 2031.
Mainoo vs Amorim
There is no doubt that Mainoo felt left out during Amorim’s reign.
While his Premier League minutes have already drawn scrutiny, the pattern continued in Europe, where Kobbie Mainoo often found himself on the periphery.
Across 11 Europa League matches under Amorim, he played a stark 164 out of a possible 1020. It caused a rift between player and manager that became impossible to ignore.
Tensions spilt in one particularly charged moment when Mainoo’s brother—and Love Island star—Jordan wore a ‘Free Kobbie Mainoo’ t-shirt in Old Trafford at United’s 4-4 match against Bournemouth.
Though, as we know, Amorim did not just have tensions with Mainoo.
After a particularly revealing post-match interview following a 1-1 draw against Leeds, Amorim stated, “I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. That is clear.”
This would be the last time Amorim spoke as Manchester United’s head coach, as his relationship with Jason Wilcox came to a fraying end.
But with Amorim gone, Mainoo has stepped back into prominence, yet again.
Mainoo reignited
In Carrick’s 10 games in charge, Mainoo has started every one, rarely leaving the pitch. He has come off on just two occasions, once in the 90th minute against Spurs and the other in the 76th against Newcastle.
When Mainoo has been on the pitch, United have not lost.
He and teammate Harry Maguire, who has also started in every match under Carrick, have been rewarded with a position back in the England squad.
He is yet to score under Carrick—his last goal in any competition, in fact, came as a dagger against Lyon to make the tie 6-6 on aggregate in the 120th minute—but has contributed two assists.
The first came via a sharp, quick-thinking through ball to Matheus Cunha, a goal that ended Arsenal’s unbeaten run at the Emirates. The second arrived from a training-ground routine against Spurs, when Fernandes’s corner found him before he slipped a tidy pass to Bryan Mbeumo, who made no mistake in finding the net.
Under Carrick, however, Mainoo has returned to his natural position, the most important shift of all.
Under Amorim, Mainoo often lined up alongside Fernandes, taking on the burden of covering and cleaning up for the Portuguese midfielder.
Now, under Carrick, Mainoo has the license to operate as a more free-roaming number 8.
Once competing for a spot with the almost ever-orbiting Fernandes, has now shifted into a partnership, the two complementing each other side by side in a deeper role alongside Casemiro.
Who was correct?
Whilst many United fans will disapprove of Amorim’s treatment of Mainoo, there is no doubt that Amorim was still correct in his assessment.
Whilst he is a sensational talent who could have the world at his feet, he still needed to improve on his defensive positioning, passing, and ability to operate at different speeds.
Has Mainoo perfected these aspects of his game? No. But have they greatly improved? Yes.
Amorim’s time at Manchester United unravelled for a myriad of reasons; his decision to sideline Mainoo now stands out as one of the most telling.
But if there is one thing fans can credit the Portuguese manager for, it is this: his handling of Mainoo, whether by design or consequence, played a quiet role in refining the midfielder into a more complete player.
