Those were the words legendary Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes remarked of Kobbie Mainoo in August 2024. High praise indeed from one of England’s greatest ever midfielders.
Fast forward a little over 12 months and things have somewhat changed for the 20-year-old—who rather than patrolling United’s midfield week after week is firmly glued to the bench. Mainoo was once heralded as the club’s saviour, but now he finds himself on the periphery, limited to substitute appearances and domestic cup outings.
Mainoo was worthy of more than a raised eyebrow when he parachuted nonchalantly into United’s first team during the 2023–24 season, capping an exceptional breakout campaign with the winning goal in the FA Cup final against bitter rivals Manchester City.
But the midfielder’s development has stagnated amid the misery at Old Trafford. A case of mismanagement, or simply the natural ebb and flow of a young career? What exactly has gone wrong?
