Why Man Utd want to sign £85m star after Tielemans

As England prepare for Wednesday’s crunch clash with Argentina, spare a thought for Manchester United’s Kobbie Mainoo, the 21-year-old having cut a forlorn figure amid his role as the Three Lions’ forgotten man.

Ruben Amorim, no, sorry, Thomas Tuchel, has repeatedly overlooked the Stockport-born sensation at the tournament so far, doing anything but unleash the youngster in midfield.

Be it a half-fit Declan Rice, an injury-prone full-back in Reece James, or natural number tens in the form of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers, and Eberechi Eze, a stream of players have now all got the nod ahead of Mainoo, including the veteran Jordan Henderson.

It begs the question as to quite why the United man was included in the first place, although in any case, Tuchel’s loss could well prove to be Michael Carrick’s gain.

Why Mainoo’s England snub could be good news for Man Utd

Perhaps Tuchel shares Amorim’s concerns over Mainoo’s mobility and athleticism, although those traits didn’t appear to be an issue back at Euro 2024, as the then-teenager helped propel Gareth Southgate’s side to the final.

After a stogy group stage, the Carrington graduate’s involvement proved vital in at least sparking an improved run of performances in the knockout rounds, with Mainoo looking particularly strong in the semi-final clash with the Netherlands.

Alas, there doesn’t look to be a repeat impact this time around, ensuring the young midfielder might return to Old Trafford with the bit between his teeth later this summer, left with a point to prove after a frustrating last month or so.

He’s certainly no stranger to quashing the doubters, overcoming a difficult spell under Amorim in 2025 to emerge as a central figure under Carrick in 2026, only missing the defeat to Leeds United in the tail end of the season.

He had a point to prove after being left out in the cold by the Portuguese coach, and boy did he do it, swiftly earning a deserved, bumper new deal to solidify his status as the Red Devils’ brightest young talent.

With Carrick now at the helm on a permanent basis, Mainoo can grow even further. International colleague Elliot Anderson might have commanded a £116m fee this summer, but isn’t United’s number 37 a “£100m footballer” in his own right?

Either way, Mainoo will be a staple of the midfield next term, with the question now set to be who will partner him?

Man Utd in talks to sign another Mainoo in £85m sensation

Whether they are the right signings or not is another matter, but there’s plenty to like about the way Man United have conducted their business so far, sealing deals for Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans almost out of the blue.

In Tielemans’ case, in particular, the Belgium skipper was signed, sealed and delivered before you could blink, with the pair joining for a combined fee of £85m – as much as Tottenham Hotspur have paid for Mateus Fernandes.

With Casemiro gone and Manuel Ugarte set to be sidelined for the foreseeable, a third midfield arrival hasn’t been ruled out, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein noting in his latest DealSheet that INEOS remain interested in Lille’s Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Alongside Manchester and Arsenal, the Red Devils have been in ongoing talks with the player’s agents over the last 12 months, with the teenager’s status having been enhanced even further amid a sparkling World Cup for Morocco.

Lille have been waiting for the tournament to end before deciding on the 18-year-old’s future, with the belief that they could sell for a fee in the region of €100m (£85m).

Whether he is then loaned back to France for the upcoming campaign would have to be seen, yet either way, this is the type of talent that Carrick and co could build their midfield around, alongside Mainoo, for the next decade or so.

Like Mainoo two years ago, Bouaddi has really come alive on the world stage, looking such a force in the group stage draw with Brazil, in particular.

An eye-catching, elegant midfielder, the Lille starlet has grabbed his opportunity with both hands on the international scene, having already made almost 100 senior appearances back at club level.

He’s class and composed, yet with the power and poise to be able to drive forward from his number six berth, certainly Mainoo-esque in that regard, as seen in his average of 1.1 successful dribbles per game in Ligue 1 last season.

Like United man too, he’s not necessarily the most standout name statistically, registering just one assist in 2025/26, while averaging only 0.7 key passes per game and 2.9 tackles and interceptions.

Mainoo, for comparison, recorded three goals and assists, averaged just 0.8 key passes and only two tackles and interceptions per game.

And yet, that doesn’t tell the full story. Watching Bouaddi in action, like his midfield counterpart, is simply a joy, with there a natural, almost uncoachable quality to his game.

Impressively too, the £85m sensation isn’t so easily bypassed despite his youth, dribbled past just 0.5 times per game last term, with Mainoo himself also dribbled past just 0.4 times per game.

The similarity is evident to see, and for all the talk surrounding United’s need for a dominant, ball-winning midfielder, recruiting genuinely elite, ball-playing options like Tielemans and Bouaddi, alongside Mainoo, would be a nice change in tack.

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