Former Manchester United player John O’Shea has said the club ‘cannot afford’ to lose Kobbie Mainoo.
The midfielder has been linked with a shock departure from Old Trafford following comments from head coach Ruben Amorim that he’s in competition with captain Bruno Fernandes.
The 20-year-old has gone from one of the first names on the team sheet, scoring the winning goal in the 2024 FA Cup final, to not playing a minute in United’s first two Premier League games of the season.
Reports emerged that Mainoo was open to leaving the club in search of playing time, a need heightened by it being a World Cup year, with suggestions the club would also listen to offers.
When breaking through into the first team, Mainoo looked like a player the club could build around for years to come, but the arrival of Amorim and his insistence on playing a midfield two is making playing time harder to come by, especially with no European football this season.
Speaking on talkSPORT on Wednesday morning, O’Shea said: “I found it slightly strange that the manager mentioned he’s just in competition with Bruno. I know he’s probably putting a bit of a challenge to him, to say ‘listen, that’s who you’re up against’.
“Obviously Bruno’s been the top performer the last few seasons. Hopefully it’s a bit of a wake-up call for Mainoo to do something a bit different. Can he rise to the challenge?
“He’s a quality player, United cannot afford to be losing him for any reason whatsoever. He’s definitely, I hope, part of the future of a club that’s going to be successful.”
Despite the paper talk, there are no suggestions Mainoo will leave in the summer. Most top clubs have concluded their business, making a permanent exit more complicated, though a loan move could still be on the cards.
Mainoo is 2/5 to still be at Manchester United when the transfer window closes.
