From Rasmus Hoylund to Marcus Rashford, from Anthony to Scott McTominay, from Dean Henderson to Alvaro Carreras, we’ve seen quite a few players thrive after leaving Manchester United. Until recently, it looked like Kobe Mainu would be the next player to perform well following a trade from Old Trafford. Instead, United fans’ concerns have been assuaged by the mid-season appointment of Michael Carrick, who may well prove to be the lifeboat Mainu has been looking for to get his Manchester career back on track.
Mainu was born in Stockport, England on April 19, 2005. He joined Manchester United’s youth training camp at the age of 9 and was eventually promoted at Carrington, making his first-team debut in January 2023.
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After making several appearances under new manager Erik ten Hag, Mainu became one of the first names in Hag’s side, scoring the winning goal and man of the match performance in the 2-1 FA Cup win over Manchester City and earning praise from the likes of Wayne Thomas. One of the brightest young talents in the Premier League, Mainu then headed to Germany and worked his way into Gareth Southgate’s starting XI, starting for England in the European Cup semi-finals and final.
However, the mid-season departure of Ten Hag and the subsequent arrival of Ruben Amorim would see him drop further and further down the pecking order, with the pair proving to be at odds, which almost materialized as Mainu became the reigning Serie A champions alongside McTominay and Hoylund.
After coming off the bench in the first two games of the season, Mainu played the full 90 points, assisting Brian Mbuemo’s goal in the 2-2 draw with Grimsby Town and taking a penalty in the eventual 12-11 League Cup defeat. He then came off the bench for the next seven games before missing two straight games before making four substitute appearances over the next five games before spending the next month with a calf injury. With a desperate need for consistent playing time ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, it seems a foregone conclusion that Mainoo will leave on loan in January, and there may even be an option or obligation to buy.
Instead, Amorim was sacked after back-to-back draws against Wolves and Leeds United, with Darren Fletcher taking over on an interim basis. His first game in charge coincided with Manu’s return to fitness, with the English midfielder replacing Casemiro at the last minute in a 2-2 draw with Burnley. Mainu then played in a central double with Manuel Ugarte in the FA Cup as the Red Devils lost 2-1 to Brighton before bouncing back against Manchester City at the weekend under new manager Michael Carrick.
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Amorim often lamented that Mainu was competing with Bruno Fernandes for the same position, but he proved that to be a fallacy at Old Trafford – he proved they could co-exist. Rather than trying to force Mainu into a 3-4-3, Carrick allowed him to flourish in his natural shuttle midfield role, playing alongside Casemiro and slightly behind Bruno Fernandes.
With Patrick Dorgu providing defensive cover on the left wing, Mainoo put considerable effort into the defense and were constantly aware of the threat from Antoine Semenyo, making multiple late-breaking interventions and holding their own against physical challenges. He won 6 of 12 duels, with 1 steal and 1 block each, and won 2 interceptions and 2 clearances, and completed 2 of 3 tackles. Similar to Felipe Martins, Mainu proved himself to be a versatile midfielder, completing 32 of 35 passes and having one shot on target. But he didn’t try to do too much and risk losing possession – he completed one of his two dribbles with only two unsuccessful touches and lost possession eight times. Facing a star-studded midfield including Bernardo Silva, Rodri and Phil Foden, Mainu held his own and led United to a 2-0 victory over Manchester City, their first win since December 26.
Managers come and go, but homegrown talent like Bryant Minor only shows up every so often. Although Mainu was making his first Premier League start of the season, he stepped up and played a key role throughout the victory and will lead his team to another major victory against league leaders Arsenal in north London. After being trapped in the prison of an uncompromising manager, Mainu now has the chance to redeem himself and re-establish himself as the metronome of United’s midfield under Michael Carrick.