René Meulensteen and Ruben Amorim (Photo by Robert Cianflone, Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Former Manchester United manager René Meulensteen admits he doesn’t understand why current Red Devils manager Ruben Amorim failed to find a place in his team for Kobbie Mainoo.
It has been a frustrating season for Mainoo, who has started just one of his 11 appearances for the Amorim side so far this season – the loss to Grimsby in the Carabao Cup.
The highly-rated young England international was previously a key player for Man Utd, making 37 appearances in all competitions last season and 32 the year before, including starting and scoring for the club in their FA Cup final victory over Manchester City.
Kobbie Mainoo surely heading for Man United exit, says René Meulensteen
Speaking to BestNewBingoSites, as cited by the Daily Mail, Meulensteen now believes we will see Mainoo leave the club after his lack of opportunities.
Meulensteen, who worked at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson, is clearly unhappy with the way Mainoo has been treated, saying he does not understand why Amorim would not use him more alongside Bruno Fernandes in midfield.
Meulensteen said: “I think there is a good chance he leaves the club in January on loan. I think he tried to leave in the summer to follow Scott McTominay to Napoli, but the club blocked the transfer.
“Kobbie Mainoo has established himself in the United team and the England team by playing absolutely fantastic football for someone so young. He has established himself in this team as a starter, and the club and United fans love to see a young academy player succeed in the first team,” added the Dutchman.
“For some reason Amorim doesn’t seem to want to play Kobbie, which frustrates the fans and myself because I think he’s a really talented player.
“I think the reason his playing time has been significantly reduced is due to the signings United made over the summer and the formation they play. The signing of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo means Bruno Fernandes has moved back into a more defensive position, which is where we have seen Mainoo play in recent years.
“I don’t understand why Mainoo and Bruno can’t play together, but maybe Amorim thinks they’re too similar. I’d really like to see them play together.”
Will Man United make midfield changes?
We imagine that Mainoo would have already had his chance if there really was a plan for Amorim to do it.
Things can change quickly in football, of course, but Mainoo surely won’t wait any longer as he will need to play regularly to have any chance of making England’s squad for the 2026 World Cup next summer.
Napoli continue to be seen as the favorites to sign Mainoo, according to La Repubblica and others, so it will be interesting to see if he ends up following his former teammate Scott McTominay to Serie A.
