Kobbie Mainoo already proven correct to want out of Man Utd, but club made right call too

It’s taken just one week for Kobbie Mainoo to be proven right to want out of Manchester United after his fear became a reality, though the Red Devils made the correct call too after committing to a transfer gamble.

Mainoo hit the headlines in the final week of the window when making multiple requests to leave Man Utd on loan. It came as a shock to the system of many, though when the deadline passed, Mainoo remained at Old Trafford.

The 20-year-old burst on to the scene roughly 18 months ago and in his first six months in the senior side, he’d established himself as a guaranteed starter, scored a wonder goal against Wolves and bagged the winning goal and man of the match award in the FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.

Mainoo was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England squad at Euro 2024 and thrust himself into the starting XI. The Three Lions advanced all the way to the final before falling short against Spain.

Mainoo had a rocket strapped to his back but as has so often been the case at Man Utd in recent years, there was a malfunction.

Injuries and the change of manager from Erik ten Hag to Ruben Amorim in the 2024/25 campaign disrupted Mainoo’s season. The midfielder spent two significant spells on the sidelines with muscle injuries, but it was the arrival of Amorim that would pose the bigger issue.

Amorim implemented his customary 3-4-2-1 formation from day one and a key question quickly arose – where does Mainoo play?

After labouring in the deeper midfield roles – reports previously claimed Amorim doesn’t believe Mainoo has the engine to play there – he was trialled with mixed results in the No 10 positions. Mainoo was even deployed in the false nine role, though that experiment was quickly dropped after one match.

But with Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha signed to play in the two advanced spots behind the striker, Mainoo only fits into the team in midfield.

Again, it’s far from straightforward for the youngster, with captain and Man Utd’s best player, Bruno Fernandes, now occupying one of the deeper roles. Even the most attack-minded of managers would hesitate to play two forward-thinking players like Mainoo and Fernandes in the double pivot.

As such, Amorim stated after the 1-1 draw with Fulham that Mainoo is in direct competition with Fernandes for minutes on the pitch.

Given Fernandes is the skipper, United’s best player, regularly completes the full 90 minutes and there’s no European football to prompt rotation, the outlook is bleak for Mainoo.

The player understandably saw the writing on the wall and made several requests to leave on loan in the final days of the window.

According to Fabrizio Romano, one of Mainoo’s chief reasons for wanting out on a temporary basis was to ensure he stays in contention for England at the 2026 World Cup.

However, Mainoo’s worst fears are already coming true, with the midfielder left out of Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the qualifiers against Andorra and Serbia.

Elliot Anderson has shone in the current international break, while Declan Rice will be among the first names on the teamsheet in a major tournament.

Adam Wharton continues to go from strength to strength and if Tuchel selects one of Phil Foden, Eberechi Eze or Cole Palmer in the No 10 role, Jude Bellingham will likely start in central midfield.

There’s no shortage of back-up options to fill out the squad too, with Morgan Gibbs-White, Conor Gallagher and Jordan Henderson in the mix.

As such, it’s easy to see why Mainoo has fallen out of favour and unless he plays regularly at club level, he’s staring down the barrel of a World Cup spent lounging on the beach.

Why Man Utd were RIGHT to deny Mainoo exit request

TEAMtalk has been informed Mainoo will not let the disappointment of failing to secure a move away linger.

Instead, he’s quickly refocussed his attention on getting Man Utd’s season back on track and is champing at the bit for playing time.

Accordingly, Man Utd will face no backlash from the player and in truth, the club made the only logical decision they could.

The Red Devils were willing to go all out to sign Brighton’s Carlos Baleba. The all-action midfielder actually agreed personal terms with United in August but never agitated for a move.

As such, and with Brighton immediately rejecting an official approach from Man Utd without even naming an asking price, the move was put on ice.

Multiple top sources including Fabrizio Romano and The Athletic have since declared Man Utd will return for Baleba in 2026.

The club believe Baleba is the absolute perfect player for Amorim’s midfield and the intensity he’d provide could kickstart Amorim’s lacklustre spell.

Accordingly, Man Utd chose not to sign what they perceived to be an inferior alternative. Like Liverpool when signing Virgil van Dijk six months after their initial move ran aground, Man Utd are prepared to wait for the right player.

It’s a gamble the club are willing to take and given there’s no European football this season, it’s the right time to roll the dice.

But given a new midfielder did not arrive, Man Utd could not realistically let Mainoo leave.

With the bulk of the club’s additions coming in the forward line, it’s easy to forget Man Utd are now a man light in midfield when compared to last season.

Mainoo, Fernandes, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte all remain, but Christian Eriksen departed via free agency.

As such, and while it’s not the perfect situation for either party, Mainoo wanting to leave was the right call for him and Man Utd saying no was the right call for them.

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