Shockingly, Kobbie Mainoo has played only 138 Premier League minutes this season. That is just 4% of the league minutes available to him. For a midfielder once seen as the future of Manchester United, the number is staggering.
It also helps explain why he quietly explored a loan move in the summer. Napoli pushed hard, Roma registered interest, and both offered a platform for regular football. Mainoo never wanted to leave permanently.
He’s a grounded young player who loves the club, but he could already see how crowded the midfield would become.
He had been part of Gareth Southgate’s England plans, yet after the change of manager, he slipped out of the squad and knew he needed consistent minutes to earn his way back. His instincts have proved correct.
A Breakthrough Star Still Paid Like a Prospect
Mainoo’s situation is even more striking when viewed through the lens of his contract. He earns around £25,000 per week, a wage far closer to that of an academy graduate than a first-team regular.
Brandon Williams, who has not been a starter for several seasons, reportedly earns about £30,000 per week, which is already higher than Mainoo’s salary.
This is despite Mainoo winning silverware with United and becoming a regular international at just 20 years old. His contract reflects the stage he was at before his breakthrough, not the level he has since reached.
Talks over a new deal have moved slowly. Mainoo and his team want clarity on his role, his pathway and his importance to the club before committing. That hesitation speaks volumes.
A Talent Ready for Much More
Mainoo broke into senior football with calmness and maturity well beyond his years.
He was confident in tight spaces, disciplined without the ball and never looked overwhelmed by Premier League intensity.
His debut season showed that he was not just a promising youngster but a proper professional with the temperament and humility needed to survive at the top level.
His maturity shines through off the pitch as well. Coaches regard him as respectful, hard-working and level-headed.
He does not complain, he trains properly, he listens, and takes responsibility. Everything about his personality suggests a player built for longevity.
His Debut Season Set a Higher Standard
Mainoo’s 1,924 Premier League minutes came in the 2023-24 campaign, his true debut season as a first-team player. He played 56% of all league minutes available to him, an extraordinary level of trust for a teenager stepping into senior football for the first time.
A year later, his minutes should be increasing, not collapsing to 4%.
The Structure That Blocks His Path
United’s midfield structure is a major reason for the shift. Casemiro has started the season well and reclaimed the holding midfield role.
That leaves one central midfield place beside him, and that role almost always goes to Bruno Fernandes, the captain.
Bruno is being used as a deeper midfielder even though it is not his natural position. United spent £127.5 million on Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo in the summer, two players who operate in the attacking areas Bruno normally occupies.
To keep their captain in the team, he has been pushed into midfield, and Mainoo is the one who pays the price.
He is not competing with Casemiro for the holding role. He is competing with Bruno for the second midfield spot. That is not a realistic battle for any 20-year-old, especially one who has just broken into senior football.
A Crossroads He Did Not Ask For
Mainoo is still only 20, yet he is already approaching a career-defining decision. Regular football is essential for his growth and for restoring his England prospects.
Napoli and Roma believe he is ready to take on that responsibility now. United must decide whether they can give him that same faith.
A telling detail in all of this is how highly Mainoo was valued only a year ago. When Chelsea enquired during his breakthrough season, United priced him at around £70 million, a figure that reflected both his talent and his long-term potential.
That kind of valuation showed how much excitement surrounded him at the time. Now he is sitting on the bench and playing only 4% of the available minutes, and the contrast is clear.
A young midfielder once seen as one of the club’s most valuable assets is watching his momentum slow and his value drift.
The Bruno Issue
Bruno Fernandes remains influential and important, but playing him deeper has consequences. It disrupts the team’s balance and blocks the one role Mainoo naturally fits into.
Instead of building a midfield based on profiles and structure, United are reshaping it around individual status and expensive summer signings.
Mainoo is the casualty of that approach, despite being one of the most professional, humble and hard-working players at the club.
Despite the lack of Mainoo’s involvement, many United fans feel Bruno should be dropped as the central midfielder regardless.
On numerous occasions this season, his carelessness with the ball has cost his team a handful of points in the Premier League. That isn’t even including his penalty misses at key moments.
The Solution
United have two clear options.
The first is to send Mainoo on loan. Napoli and Roma can offer immediate starts, clear roles and consistent minutes. It would help him rebuild rhythm, confidence and visibility with England.
The second is to correct United’s shape. Bruno should return to his natural attacking midfield position. Mbeumo can operate alongside him. Cunha either steps out of the starting group or is used as a false nine, a role that suits his movement and link play.
With the midfield rebalanced, Mainoo can step into the role beside Casemiro, the position he is built for and the position he excelled in during his debut season.
While that was originally in a midfield three, Mainoo has the footballing intelligence to adapt. However, this is not an option sat on the touchline.
At the moment, the talent is there and the need is obvious. The question is whether Manchester United are ready to clear a path for a player who should be one of the cornerstones of their future.
Doing nothing risks wasting a humble, gifted and intelligent midfielder they cannot afford to lose.
