- Manchester United star is on the verge of a new contract
- Mainoo nearly left the club due to former head coach Riben Amorim
- Midfielder set to earn a whopping £150,000
Samuel Luckhurst has reported that Manchester United are set to hand Kobbie Mainoo a new five-year deal, with his weekly pay rising to £150,000. That marks a sixfold increase on his previous wages, with the Englishman earning just £25,000 per week before.
Under interim head coach Michael Carrick, Mainoo has come alive once more. Whilst he still shakes off the cobwebs from a 14-month spell where he frequented the bench more than the pitch, the midfielder has started to rediscover his rhythm, reminding many why he stands among the most promising young midfielders in the game.
United will look to pair their academy graduate with a marquee name this summer. Casemiro departs the club, with a bona fide superstar expected to arrive as his replacement.
Mainoo ‘Verbally Agrees’ New Deal
Signing his last contract at the age of 17, this is a massive pay increase for the English midfielder. But it is not as if he has not deserved a new deal.
Whilst he feared sporadically under Ruben Amorim, Mainoo was one of the standout stars of the Erik ten Hag era, and has impressed greatly under Carrick.
Midfield partner Casemiro claimed that “Kobbie is the present and the future,” and that “I think that he is one of the best No. 8s and can be that for the next 12 years. He is a player I really like. He always wants the ball. It is true that football can’t change your mentality but Kobbie demonstrated that he hasn’t changed his focus once.”
Interim coach Carrick claimed that Mainoo’s performance against Chelsea at the weekend was the “best he’s played” under him, and that:
“I thought he looked so composed, so calm, had a real good presence about him, defended well. Not easy when you’ve got really good players around you, and it was a good battle between him and Cole Palmer.”
It was just one of several superb performances from the English midfielder since he was recalled to the Reds’ starting XI. He endured the worst period of his career before Carrick replaced Amorim in January.
Mainoo Contract Puts Amorim Misery To Bed
Five months ago, no one would have thought we would be in this situation. Under Amorim, Mainoo saw little gametime, and matters deteriorated to the point where he requested a loan move away from the club.
For all his shortcomings, however, the Portuguese head coach did refine Mainoo into a more complete player. His defensive capabilities have improved tenfold, and while he is still not the finished product, his passing range has come on as well.
The newly turned 20-year-old started every match under Carrick until a slight knock ruled him out of the 2-1 loss against Leeds. Aside from that, Mainoo has featured in every available minute under Carrick, bar 14 minutes against Newcastle and stoppage time against Tottenham Hotspur.
Mainoo now once again looks like a player United can anchor their future around. The kind of midfielder who does not just fit the system, but defines it for years to come.
