Bruno Fernandes identifies which red-hot United star the club must keep at all costs

Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes believes that the club cannot afford to lose Kobbie Mainoo. The Englishman’s future was subject to speculation at the beginning of the season, under Ruben Amorim. The Portuguese head coach opted for a midfield pivot of Fernandes and Casemiro in order to accommodate his new-look attack, which relegated Mainoo to the bench. The 21 year old registered just one start under Amorim this season, in the disastrous EFL Cup defeat to Grimsby Town, and all his appearances in the Premier League were from the bench. The Portuguese head coach even suggested that Mainoo was competing with Fernandes for a place in the starting XI, further adding to the youngster’s frustration. As the winter transfer window drew nearer, the Englishman appeared destined to leave Old Trafford in the middle of the campaign in search of regular football. However, all that changed in January, after United decided to cut short Amorim’s disastrous tenure and replaced him with Michael Carrick, who took charge as caretaker manager until the end of the season. One of the English manager’s first decisions was to reinstate Mainoo into the starting XI. Mainoo’s rise under Carrick Where Mainoo had no place in Amorim’s controversial 3-4-3 system, he became the cornerstone of the 4-3-2-1 formation that Carrick implemented upon his arrival. United started their post-Amorim era with a blockbuster 2-0 win over Manchester City, with Mainoo securing his first Premier League start of the season and running riot in midfield. The English midfielder retained his place alongside Casemiro for the following game, when the Red Devils secured a 3-2 win against Arsenal at the Emirates. Mainoo has been Carrick’s metronome in midfield ever since, starting every game barring the 2-1 defeat to Leeds United, which he missed due to injury. The Englishman was outstanding against Liverpool over the weekend, scoring the winner to secure a 3-2 victory. With Casemiro set to leave this summer, the Red Devils are now looking for the Brazilian’s replacement as well as Mainoo’s ideal partner. The young midfielder signed a new contract last week that will keep him at the Theatre of Dreams until 2031. Fernandes has shed light on Mainoo’s recent struggles and his triumph over adversities. Squad believed in Kobbie Speaking to Gary Neville on Sky Sports, Fernandes revealed that Kobbie’s United team-mates always believed in the young midfielder. He said: “When he came to the first team he had to play straight away and not everyone was expecting that. Then he had a period when he was playing a little bit left and he was a little bit in the shadow and everyone forgot a little bit about him.” “But not us. We knew what we had in the house. We knew that Kobbie had things to improve and could be better. He was good in the time he was not playing to try to become better, try to improve. He was always very professional during the period when he was not playing. We have nothing to say about that.” Bruno also said that Mainoo is reaping the rewards of his hard work now, stating: “Now because he was doing the right things when he was not playing he is getting his credit and he is getting his flowers again. He well deserves his new contract. The club couldn’t afford to lose a player like him.” Kobbie Mainoo Stats: 2025/26 Season CompetitionAppearancesStartsGoalsAssistsYellow CardsRed CardsMinutes Played Premier League2513121-1,384′ EFL Cup11-1–90′ FA Cup11–1-62′ Total2715132-1,536′ Source: Transfermarkt. Final Thoughts United managed a coup by convincing Mainoo to sign a new deal, especially since his previous contract was due to expire in 2027. The Englishman has all the ingredients to be an Old Trafford legend and his spectacular rise will be a source of motivation for every academy youngster hoping to make it big at the club. Kobbie Mainoo’s game by numbers vs. Liverpool: 67 touches48/54 successful passes7x possessions won5/7 duels won2 fouls won2/2 take-ons completed1/1 shots on target1 goal MOTM performance. ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/efMxbFU24S — Squawka (@Squawka) May 3, 2026 Featured image by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images The Peoples Person has been one of the world’s leading Man United news sites for over a decade. Follow us on Bluesky: @peoplesperson.bsky.social Deepungsu Pandit Deepungsu has been a Manchester United fan since 2000. In his playing days, he was an attacking midfielder with a proclivity for the back heel. Right now, however, he prefers to operate as a regista. Deepungsu has been writing about the Red Devils, Football, and other things since 2009. He has worked for over seven years with Sportskeeda, writing football reviews, opinions and news articles. Deepungsu also maintains a blog, The Thinking Me, where he writes about life and things that interest him. His favourite Manchester United player is Paul Scholes.