Manchester United could be in a sticky situation regarding one of their bright young stars, and Erik ten Hag would be dealt a bitter blow if he were to lose his services, according to reporter Dean Jones.
Manchester United’s academy pipeline
Undoubtedly, giving youth a chance to flourish at Old Trafford has been a ploy woven into the history of Manchester United. In the past, the likes of The Class of 92, The Busby Babes and many more young stars throughout the years have come through the ranks and gone on to be legends at the Premier League giants.
Nowadays, Manchester United probably don’t produce the sheer amount of prodigious young talent internally as they once did; however, there is still a strong core of academy players who are part of Ten Hag’s plans in 2023/24.
Marcus Rashford and Scott McTominay are obvious examples, though Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton also started their careers at Manchester United. Shola Shoretire and Kobbie Mainoo have gained senior recognition in recent times, while Brandon Williams and Mason Greenwood remain out on loan at Ipswich Town and Getafe, respectively.
One standout youngster within the current crop who came through at Carrington is midfielder Mainoo, who sustained an injury in pre-season against Real Madrid after initially impressing on the Red Devils’ tour of the United States.
Born in nearby Stockport, Mainoo has already gone on to make three senior appearances for Manchester United and is touted for big things, which has piqued the interest of rivals Manchester City, according to a report from FourFourTwo magazine.
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Kobbie Mainoo statistics at Manchester United – all competitions (Transfermarkt) |
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Appearances |
3 |
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Goals |
0 |
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Assists |
0 |
Now, reporter Jones has taken time to address the ongoing situation surrounding Mainoo’s future, as both of Manchester’s big guns continue to vie for the hottest local prodigies that could one day become stars for either club.
Dean Jones reacts to Kobbie Mainoo rumours
Speaking to GIVEMESPORT, reporter Jones believes that Manchester United losing Mainoo to their nearest rivals would be a “hugely painful blow” for Ten Hag to have to contend with and a “surprise” given his opportunity to potentially break into his first-team plans.
Jones told the outlet: “That’d be a hugely painful blow to Man United if they were to lose a prospect like that to Man City. There’s a bit of an ongoing duel between these two clubs over young talent at the moment, snatching them off each other.
“But Mainoo is someone that genuinely seems to have prospects to getting into Man Utd’s first team. So, I think that this would be a big surprise if Man City were to actually be able to claw him away.”
It is almost unthinkable that Mainoo would cross the divide to join Pep Guardiola’s men, though players such as Carlos Tevez, Owen Hargreaves and Andy Cole have played for both Manchester clubs in the past.
Nevertheless, Mainoo is working his way back to full fitness and Manchester United fans will hope to see the midfielder take to the field sooner rather than later to complete his return from injury, and perhaps cementing himself in the senior squad can put these rumours to bed.
