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Manchester United have a Kobbie Mainoo-shaped problem and it’s getting worse every day.
Alarm bells are ringing, amber lights are flashing, needles are in the red, smoke is coming out of the console; it’s only a matter of time before the sprinklers kick in and short out the motherboard.
Suddenly the unthinkable must be considered: that objectively the most exciting Carrington graduate of a generation actually appears to be on his way out of the club. Would you like a glass of water?
Is it a miracle?
And you can hardly blame him for that. Just over a year after being the first name on Erik ten Hag’s generally ill-fated team sheet, he has become something of a co-star under Ruben Amorim. He disappeared from the beginning English final of the 2024 European Championship to possibly not even traveling to the World Cup in 2026.
Much has been said about the madness of losing Mainoo, and thankfully we seem to have moved on from the United hierarchy and see the sale of the Stockport lad as a simple cash grab.
The momentum now seems to be coming from the player’s side, mired in disbelief and frustration, and despite the Amorim hostage-taker’s insistence that no one leaves in January, it feels like something has to be done in this case.
Rock and a hard place
It’s impossible to read the blank corporate expression that Manchester United PLC uses as it takes charge of the 20-time champions, but if we believe the football people are in charge, it’s almost possible to feel something approaching sympathy.
Supporting Amorim to the hilt, while failing to support Mainoo in the slightest, puts the club in a difficult position.
They certainly can’t sack a coach for persisting with a Casemiro/Fernandes midfield axis, especially after it has produced three wins in four games. The coach calls the shots on the field, and interfering with that sets a very dangerous precedent indeed.
When United’s form faltered, there was at least a possible way out, however unpalatable.
Take the leap
So with a duty to prioritize the present over a rich history and a hypothetical future, United must be pragmatic in the here and now. And that means sanctioning, perhaps even prioritizing, Mainoo’s departure in January – on loan. A regular loan, the most direct loan that ever existed, no option or obligation to buy, the simplest loan.
The club is good at loans; they’ve had a lot of practice, even if most of it has been a concession to their ridiculous wage bill, but the fine print has never been more important.
The bitter truth is that Mainoo seems unlikely to get any serious playing time at United this season – even the impending exodus from AFCON will do little to change that – so the club must take action to get him as many minutes as possible.
The fact that they have to come in the colors of another club is a necessary evil, but blocking it completely will damage the player, his development and undoubtedly his relationship with the Red Devils.
Interesting futures
A Mainoo at full strength is a sight to behold, and Amorim’s reluctance to use the player remains one of the biggest question marks hanging over the Portuguese’s head, but managers across Europe would be salivating at the chance to work with the 20-year-old, even if only for six months.
Six months to regain match sharpness, to play himself back into the England squad in time to fly to North America and then straight back to Manchester.
The scene that awaits him could be unrecognizable from the one in which he is currently marginalized. Casemiro may be in rich form at the moment, but his contract expires in the summer and should only be retained on a much lower wage with a much smaller role.
Meanwhile, Fernandes will be another year older, another year closer to ending an illustrious career at Old Trafford, with interest in the Saudi Pro League unlikely to have waned.
Unlikely hero
If he is still in his post – and the assumption for now is that he will be – the chances of Amorim starting next season with an entirely new midfield pair are not particularly good.
Allowing Mainoo to develop and grow, showing confidence in his natural talent and belief in his character, could provide half of a turnkey solution for a revamped engine room, giving United the chance to break into nine figures if necessary to secure him a world-class partner.
The player is believed to be completing a winter loan move to Napoli, the great resuscitator of wasted United talent. In the absence of a dramatic and immediate change of heart from Amorim, the club must embrace the opportunity.
As the walls close in and the specter of a forced final sale and a decade of regret looms, Antonio Conte could be the unlikely savior United need.
Featured image Shaun Botterill via Getty Images
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