Amorim’s Mainoo decision against Wolves leaves no doubt: Man Utd midfielder set for inevitable departure – Opinion

Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim may have changed his midfield pecking order, suggesting that the fates of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte have already been sealed.At the start of the season, the 40-year-old made his hierarchy clear. He explained that Mainoo would have to ‘fight’ for a starting role against Bruno Fernandes, while Ugarte and Casemiro will be vying for the holding midfielder role.While the two veterans have been immovable in the starting lineup, United’s two younger midfielders were forced to settle for secondary roles.For their part, the fans weren’t too bothered by Amorim’s treatment of Ugarte, a player who never truly showed his worth since sealing a £44 million transfer from PSG in the summer of 2024.However, Mainoo is a whole different matter. After all, we’re talking about one of the most promising players to emerge out of the club’s academy, and an absolute fan favourite at Old Trafford.(Photo by George Wood/Getty Images)Ugarte & Mainoo both struggling with playing time under AmorimSince the start of the campaign, Mainoo has been constantly linked with the exit door, with Napoli particularly keen on reuniting him with Scott McTominay and Rasmus Hojlund. The player himself is said to be desperate to leave in January in the hopes of reviving his fading World Cup hopes.However, reports have insisted that Amorim has no desire to relinquish the 20-year-old’s services in the middle of the park, even though he has yet to pick him to start a Premier League contest this season. Man Utd midfielders in 25/26 Appearances Goals Assists Bruno Fernandes 16 4 6 Casemiro 14 3 1 Manuel Ugarte 11 0 0 Kobbie Mainoo 11 0 1 Based on his lack of minutes, it is difficult to believe that the 40-year-old manager truly values the Man Utd academy product. Nevertheless, an interesting second-half decision at the Molineux suggests there could be hope for the young Englishman after all.In the 78th minute, Casemiro was given a breather, with Man Utd leading by three goals to one against the struggling Wolves. But instead of introducing the Brazilian’s designated understudy, Ugarte, Amorim opted to field Mainoo in a deeper role.Manuel Ugarte is unlikely to dwell at Man UnitedAlthough it was a relatively easy match (eventually ending 4-1), the youngster held his own in the No.6 role. Interestingly, it was revealed earlier in the campaign that Amorim and his staff have been working on transforming Mainoo into a deep-lying playmaker.On the other hand, Ugarte was left on the bench for the duration of the match, just four days following a disappointing cameo against West Ham.While the Uruguayan cannot be entirely to blame for his ominous stat, it was revealed that United conceded 14 of their 24 goals with him on the pitch. This is definitely a surprisingly high percentage considering the 24-year-old’s lack of playing time. Manchester United have conceded 14 of their 23 goals this season when Manuel Ugarte is on the pitch. pic.twitter.com/r4U1zpbGqa — utdreport (@utdreport) December 5, 2025At this stage, it remains to be seen if Amorim will constantly turn to Mainoo ahead of Ugarte even in the No.6 role. However, one thing is for sure: the manager no longer esteems the player who was once an integral part of his Sporting side.Although a January departure remains unlikely, Man Utd will definitely try to offload the former PSG man based on the current evidence, as he hasn’t been able to add anything noteworthy to the cause. Ugarte has already attracted interest from Galatarasay, at least according to rumours in the Turkish media.INEOS will try to replace him with one of their main targets, and chief among them is Elliot Anderson.