Talks ongoing: Man United and ‘complete’ midfielder now ‘equally eager’ to agree long-term deal

Both Manchester United and Kobbie Mainoo are said to be ‘equally eager’ to agree a new long-term contract for the youngster.Indeed, Chris Wheeler has revealed (via The United Stand) that the midfielder is ‘keen to stay’ and there is a ‘strong chance’ that a deal will materialise. However, all parties are still working to reach a full agreement.From United fans’ perspective, they’ve been able to breathe a collective sigh of relief over the fact that Mainoo, whom counterpart Casemiro hailed as a ‘complete player’, is now wanting to stay at the club, following a concerning few months in which he was linked with a move elsewhere.DOWNLOAD THE OFFICIAL STRETTY NEWS APP FOR ALL THE LATEST UPDATES & BREAKING – STRAIGHT TO YOUR PHONE! ON APPLE & GOOGLE PLAYWhy Mainoo has U-turned on his Red Devils future(Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)It came amid his heavily reduced role under Ruben Amorim, whereby he did not make a single Premier League start in the first half of the campaign and until the coach was relieved of his duties in early January. Appearances Starts Goal contributions Minutes played 67 48 6 4,284 *Mainoo’s record in the league for United (Transfermarkt)Since then, the 20-year-old has been deployed from the off in all five matches of Michael Carrick’s tenure, overseeing standout performances in each.Against the top two in the league, Arsenal and Manchester City, Mainoo covered the most distance of any player on the pitch across both sides, as United secured two triumphant wins to put them well in the race to secure Champions League qualification. Kobbie Mainoo covered the most distance on the pitch in Man United’s recent wins over Arsenal and Man City 💨 pic.twitter.com/3s0UxtEEac — Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) January 26, 2026Mainoo could experience first ever World Cup if he maintains his form(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)Thomas Tuchel also confirmed last week that United’s revitalised run has put Mainoo, Harry Maguire and Luke Shaw all back in contention for the England squad in the lead-up to the World Cup. The Carrington graduate has already earned 10 caps for his nation, with the bulk coming at Euro 2024. He impressed early on off the bench at the tournament, prompting Gareth Southgate to start Mainoo in the Three Lions’ journey from the last-16 to the final, where they lost to Spain.