Ruben Amorim has been chastised for his treatment of Kobbie Mainoo over the last 10 months.
It’s become increasingly evident throughout Amorim’s tenure at Manchester United that he does not see the 20-year-old as a suitable fit for his newly implemented system.
As a result, Mainoo has fallen out of favour at Old Trafford, now ranking behind Bruno Fernandes, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte for a starting spot in midfield.
Why Kobbie Mainoo is considering a premature United exit
This season, for example, he was an unused substitute for the opening two Premier League matches of the campaign, which prompted him to request a late summer loan move to increase his game time.
United rebuffed Mainoo’s requests and informed him that he was expected to stay put and fight for his role this term. He did feature in the subsequent two league outings but only off the bench, meaning he has totalled just 73 minutes of top-flight action in 2025/2026.
Should the situation continue as it is, Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Mainoo will likely push to leave again in January. He respected the club’s decision in summer, but you couldn’t blame him for wanting to explore alternative options when the 2026 World Cup is on the horizon.
The youngster has already earned 10 caps for England thus far, most of which came during Euro 2024. However, he has yet to be called up to the senior squad since Thomas Tuchel succeeded Gareth Southgate.
Amorim’s treatment of Mainoo branded ‘criminal’
Weighing in on Mainoo’s frustrations, journalist Alex Crook said on talkSPORT: The Kobbie Mainoo situation is infuriating.
“Because you go back to the 2024 FA Cup final, he scores in that game, he runs the midfield against Manchester City, United defy the odds, and they win the FA Cup, it keeps Erik ten Hag in a job.
“A few weeks later, he comes in and solves that No.6 issue that England had at the European Championships; he plays in the European Championship final.
“He’s been criminally underused by Ruben Amorim, and I speak to people close to Kobbie Mainoo, and they say to me, ‘He doesn’t fancy him, Kobbie believes the manager doesn’t have any faith in his ability.’
