Man Utd Warned That They Could Repeat The Same Mistake They Made With Scott McTominay

Sky Sports pundit Alan Smith doesn’t believe that Man Utd should sanction the departure of Kobbie Mainoo.

Speaking to Best Betting Sites UK, Smith said that the Red Devils would run the risk of repeating the mistake they made by selling Scott McTominay:

“His career has just stalled, and obviously, Amorim loves Fernandes and Casemiro in that central midfield. But would he let Mainoo go? I think the fans would not be happy with that. One of their own, an academy product. We’ve seen enough Man Utd players leave and do well. Scott McTominay may be one of the biggest examples.”

“You could see Kobbie Mainoo going somewhere and really developing quickly. So I don’t think United would want that to happen, but frustrating for the youngster.”

Why doesn’t he play more often for Man Utd?

Head coach Ruben Amorim made his feelings clear on the matter before the start of the season, when he said that Mainoo was in direct competition with captain Bruno Fernandes for a place in the starting lineup.

With no European football and the fact that Fernandes rarely gets injured, Mainoo has found opportunities very hard to come by in recent months.

Mainoo’s future remains uncertain

The 20-year-old was pressing for a loan move away from the club to get more game time in the summer, and his opinion is unlikely to have changed on the matter.

Mainoo has not made a single start in the Premier League so far this campaign, having been given just 170 minutes off the bench in total.

The player does harbour ambitions of playing in next summer’s World Cup, and he probably feels that the only way he will get on the plane to North America is if he leaves Old Trafford.

Read more about the Manchester United First Team Squad for 2025/26 here