Image source: bbc.com
Manchester United are keen to resume negotiations with midfielder Kobbie Mainoo over a new deal that would bring his terms in line with other senior squad members. Mainoo is under contract until 2027, with an option for an extra year, but talks have not yet restarted. His situation has shifted after Ruben Amorim’s exit, with Mainoo back in the first-team picture.
Manchester United look to restart talks with midfielder Kobbie Mainoo
United want to reopen discussions with Mainoo on a new contract that would align him with fellow senior players. The 20-year-old’s current deal expires in 2027, although United hold an option to extend it by a further year. Despite the club’s desire to re-engage, there have been no discussions so far and it remains unclear how open Mainoo is to committing to fresh terms.
Mainoo’s stance has been influenced by events over the past year. The midfielder had a well-publicised desire to leave United on loan last summer, and at the start of January he was hoping to secure a loan move during the current transfer window. Former manager Ruben Amorim’s failure to give Mainoo a Premier League start this season also became a major source of frustration among the United fanbase.
Since Amorim’s exit, however, Mainoo has been reintegrated into the senior fold. Interim manager Darren Fletcher started him in this month’s FA Cup third-round defeat by Brighton. Mainoo then kept his place for Michael Carrick’s first match in charge, as United beat Manchester City convincingly in last weekend’s derby.
Carrick, who first encountered Mainoo towards the end of his own playing time at the club, highlighted the importance of young talent to United. “This club needs young players coming through,” Carrick said, calling them “the foundation of the club” and describing Mainoo as “a prime example.” Carrick added that he worked with Mainoo at 13 or 14 while completing his coaching badges and praised his character in handling big games at a young age.
Mainoo signed his current contract in 2023, and it had been thought a new agreement would be reached after his goalscoring contribution to United’s 2024 FA Cup final win over City. That was followed by him starting England’s Euro 2024 final defeat by Spain, but no deal was struck. The report said the treatment Mainoo received following Amorim’s arrival left his camp wondering whether United value him.
