‘Lingering issues’: Kobbie Mainoo’s Man Utd future not set in stone just yet after latest developments

Kobbie Mainoo has yet to put pen to paper on a new deal with Manchester United , despite being in talks over fresh terms for well over a year.

Red Devils chiefs had been keen to tie down the youngster to an improved contract ever since his meteoric breakthrough into the first team in 2023/2024, which culminated with him scoring in the FA Cup final as United overturned arch-rivals Manchester City to lift the trophy at Wembley.

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However, when Erik ten Hag was relieved of his duties just five months later, Mainoo’s role became uncertain amid the impending appointment of a new manager and, in this case, an entirely new system

Ruben Amorim was not as fond of the midfielder as his predecessor, particularly when the current season got underway.

At the beginning of 2025/2026, Mainoo was an unused substitute for the opening two Premier League matches against Arsenal and Fulham.

It prompted him to push for a late summer loan departure to Napoli in the last week of the window, yet United rebuffed his request.

Mainoo’s situation proceeded to improve slightly , considering he was then utilised by the coach, but only off the bench. By the time INEOS decided to pull the plug on Amorim’s tenure on January 5, the 20-year-old had not made a single league start.

Michael Carrick rectified the situation as soon as he took the reins, having noticed what a colossal waste it was to have such a coveted talent wasting away on the sidelines every week. Mainoo has now been deployed from the off in all seven games under Carrick, with United yet to taste defeat in any of them.

*Mainoo’s complete record in the Premier League

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However, MailSport has revealed there are ‘lingering issues’ surrounding the England international’s contract negotiations.

– Tuesday, 3 March 2026

The outlet states: “He (Mainoo) agreed to a compromise on his new salary and then didn’t hear back from United until Amorim was fired in January.

“Mainoo earns significantly less than his teammates, and it’s unclear if his representatives would be willing to accept the same terms now that he has underlined his importance to the team since Carrick replaced Amorim.”

That being said, the Carrington graduate is said to be feeling ‘far more settled’ now in comparison to the back end of last year, and there is ‘considerably more chance of him staying at Old Trafford’ – much to fans’ delight.

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