Kobbie Mainoo

CHRISTIAN ERIKSEN was booed back at Brentford in United colours for having the temerity to join England’s biggest club three years ago.

And Bryan Mbeumo can expect similar treatment after the rancour around his transfer.

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United felt Brentford attempted to railroad Mbeumo into joining Tottenham or Newcastle United, convinced that he would be on a lower wage that would then drive up his transfer fee. Mbeumo joined United for £65, rising to £71m.

When Brentford finally relented and sold the AWOL Yoane Wissa to Newcastle on deadline day, it was for £50m plus £5m in add-ons. 

Wissa is an actual striker and scored as many goals as Mbeumo last season, which undermined Brentford’s belief that they could have recouped more from Spurs or Newcastle for Mbeumo. 

Xavi Simons and Nick Woltemade, Tottenham and Newcastle’s most expensive summer signings, were not as costly as Mbeumo.

The press room at the Community Stadium is so tight you tend to literally rub shoulders with colleagues. Staff from United and Brentford may keep their distance.

MAIN ATTRACTION

KOBBIE MAINOO is out of the United side and one of his closest teammates, Alejandro Garnacho, was out in the cold before he left last month.

But Mainoo has a new best pal in Leny Yoro.

Mainoo and Yoro have grown close since the latter joined United from Lille last summer.

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Mainoo started learning Spanish while he was out two years ago as Garnacho and Amad are both fluent in the language.

Garnacho remains tight with Amad – the pair are represented by the same agent – as they demonstrated with last week’s infamous Instagram Story that Amad received online abuse for.

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Mainoo is something of an outlier in that he has gravitated towards foreign teammates.

Although Yoro spoke impeccable English at the time of his £59million transfer. 

PORT OF CALL

PORTUGUESE pair Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot both attended the Lewis Capaldi concert at Co-Op Live after last week’s victory over Chelsea.

Members of the Fernandes family had flown over from Portugal for the occasion.

Or to provide childcare for his two children.

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CARR INSURANCE

THE NEW home matchday schedule for United players to report at Carrington before boarding a bus for Old Trafford caused confusion for some of the younger squad members last month.

A handful of youngsters assumed the team coach would ferry them back to the training complex after the game, where they had naively left their vehicles.

Senior players are usually dropped off at Carrington by a spouse or confidant and so their vehicle is in place at the stadium post-match.

Some stranded junior members of the squad had to get Ubers to the training base after a game to be reunited with their vehicles.

Erik ten Hag scrapped United’s pre-match stays at The Lowry Hotel in 2022 and the squad would arrive four hours before kick-off for home games.

Ruben Amorim has opted to delay United’s travel time and they now tend to get to their ground an hour-and-a-half before kick-off.

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HARDY ABLE

UNITED are in the process of signing teenage goalkeeper Charlie Hardy from Derby County.

Hardy, 16, has played five times for England Under 16s and is going through formalities to complete a move to United. 

He was named on the bench against United U18s when he was only 14 last year and made his debut for Derby U18s at the age of 15.

As a category one scholar, Hardy can move to another English club at any time over the course of the season.

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PELL RINGER

MANUEL PELLEGRINI thinks Antony just needed an arm put around him and a club that makes him feel important.

United reject Antony, 25, has been reborn at Real Betis after a miserable two years at Old Trafford.

The Brazil winger sparkled after joining Betis on loan in January and made the move permanent after long talks brought a deadline-day switch for up to £21.6m.

United included a 50 per cent sell-on clause in the deal for Antony, who followed a classy assist with a late goal to secure a 2-2 draw in Wednesday’s Europa League opener against Nottingham Forest.

Before the game, Betis boss Pellegrini, 72, said: “I try to make them feel the best so that they can also give me their best.”

Antony is much better suited to La Liga, where he is more comfortable with the ball at his feet and not so physically pressed.

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RUBEN AMORIM has told wantaway Kobbie Mainoo: “You have to do better.”

Midfielder Mainoo, 20, was keen to quit Manchester United before the transfer deadline because boss Amorim is not giving him enough game time.

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Italian champs Napoli were interested but the Red Devils were unwilling to sanction a loan exit for the England star.

Amorim ignored Mainoo while the window was still open but had a heart-to-heart during the international break — telling him he is not the finished product and could do more.

The Portuguese coach, whose side face Manchester City in today’s Manchester derby at the Etihad, said: “Like a lot of guys, he wants to play more. 

“I didn’t have a conversation with him before the window closed but I did this week. 

“I didn’t want him thinking I was having the conversation just to hold on to him. Some people think he is there but I think he can do so much better. 

“For some guys it’s enough, for him it’s not enough. Maybe it’s not fair but I think I’m helping Kobbie Mainoo.

“I have the same feeling that you have. That he’s a top, top player. But he can be so much better. So I’m focused on that.

“He’s not used to fighting for his place, maybe. He is uncomfortable but he is a very good kid — and he is fighting.”

Mainoo looked set for superstardom when he scored for his boyhood club in their FA Cup final win over City and then started for England in  the Euro 2024 final, despite defeat to Spain.

Amorim added: “I know he started the final of the European Championship in a team that has a lot of talented players.

“Phil Foden played that game. Cole Palmer was on the bench. He was playing. But sometimes I have  a different way of seeing the game.”

The ex-Sporting Lisbon boss explained where he thinks Mainoo can improve.

The United boss added: “He needs to have the technical ability that he has but he  needs more pace. 

“He needs to play at different speeds. Sometimes he’s slower and sometimes he’s faster. He can improve on that.

“And then he has to beat Bruno Fernandes. He has to beat Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte. They are good players also. I need to choose.”

Amorim pointed to fellow Portuguese Vitinha, Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield general, as a player who once struggled but is now thriving.

He said: “Sometimes it’s about the opinion of a coach. I remember Vitinha was not playing for Wolves. Nowadays, Vitinha is maybe the best midfielder in the world.”

Man Utd’s transfer deals

IN

• Bryan Mbeumo – from Brentford – £71m
• Matheus Cunha – from Wolves – £62.5m
• Diego Leon – from Cerro Porteno – £7m
• Benjamin Sesko – from RB Leipzig – £74m
• Senne Lammens – from Royal Antwerp – £18m

TOTAL – £232.5m

OUT

• Alejandro Garnacho – to Chelsea – £40m
• Marcus Rashford – to Barcelona – Loan
• Victor Lindelof – released
• Christian Eriksen – released
• Toby Collyer – to West Brom – Loan

TOTAL – £40m

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MANCHESTER UNITED are set for a make-or-break deadline day after failing to sell any players this window.

But Ruben Amorim’s side is running out of time with the window shutting at 7pm tonight.

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Goalkeeper

United are keeping potential deals with Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez and Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens warm before deciding which one to go for.

Both players want to join Amorim’s side and were left out of their respective squads over the weekend. United aren’t in line to sign both goalkeepers.

£17million-rated Lammens, 23, is a project for the future, while World Cup winner Martinez can surely put things up between the sticks immediately.

SunSport understands Lammens is happy with the personal terms now on offer after talks stalled last week, and the Belgian wants to move to Old Trafford.

However, the Red Devils still need to agree a fee with Royal Antwerp, who are believed to be seeking £20 million.

Martinez, 32, would cost significantly more at around £40million and would demand higher wages in line with his current Villa Park deal, which still has five years left.

Antony

United winger Antony is expected to travel to Spain for a medical with Real Betis, where he enjoyed a revitalising six month loan last season.

He will take a significant pay cut to leave and will join Betis for £21.7m, with the deal made up of an initial £19m payment plus £3.4million in adds.

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It stalled on Friday night due to a £4-5million loyalty bonus that the player felt he was due from Old Trafford chiefs.

Jadon Sancho

Jadon Sancho could follow in Marcus Rashford’s footsteps by joining Aston Villa on loan with hours left in the window.

Villa Park chiefs have made contact with Sancho’s camp over personal terms but there is no agreement yet on either.

Sancho has one year left on his United deal.

Sancho, 25, seems the most likely Bomb Squad member to stay at the moment due to his outrageous £350,000-per-week wages.

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Midfielders

Injuries to Matheus Cunha and Mason Mount have hit Kobbie Mainoo‘s slim chances of being allowed to leave United today.

The Red Devils were not willing to let him leave on loan anyway.

But the first half injury blows against Burnley have only hardened their resolve.

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Tyrell Malacia

United are waiting for a suitable loan offer from LaLiga side Elche for left-back Tyrell Malacia, but it looks set to happen today.

Malacia enjoyed a loan spell at PSV last season where he won the Dutch league.

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Harry Amass

Sheffield Wednesday are in talks with United over a move for left-back Harry Amass.

United will consider a straight season-long loan as Amass, 18, is still seen as one for the future.

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ONE year ago, having nicely slotted into England’s midfield at Euro 2024, it seemed Kobbie Mainoo could do no wrong.

But now the Manchester United star is already at a crossroads in his career at the age of 20 — with only the love of the fans for comfort.

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After joining United at the age of six, the thought of Mainoo leaving Old Trafford is unthinkable for many supporters.

But the Stockport lad continues to face a brutal battle to secure a spot in the 4-3-2-1 system of manager Ruben Amorim.

His emergence in the 2023–24 season under former boss Erik ten Hag felt like the long-awaited unveiling of United’s next midfield maestro.

Mainoo — who, along with Alejandro Garnacho, became the first teenager to score in the FA Cup final since Cristiano Ronaldo’s strike against Millwall in 2004 — was considered the future of the club.

Weeks after his Wembley triumph, Mainoo’s vision and composure solved Gareth Southgate’s midfield conundrum during England’s surge to the Euros final.

He was regarded as one of Europe’s brightest talents.

That was highlighted by his third-place finish in last year’s Kopa Trophy, which is awarded to the world’s best under-21 talent and was won by Lamine Yamal.

But the youngster suffered the first major setback of his career just months after the Euros as he missed 17 games when fatigue brought about two different muscle injuries.

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And Mainoo, whose contract talks stalled months ago, now has two new managers to impress in Amorim and Thomas Tuchel — and it seems the former is not keen at all.

Unlike ex-England boss Southgate, Amorim seems to lack faith in the academy graduate to fix United’s midfield mess.

In the week former Red Devils star Scott McTominay earned a Ballon d’Or nod, Amorim ramped up his search for upgrades on Manuel Ugarte, 24, and veteran Casemiro, 33.

That search led United to make contact with Brighton about a potential move for 21-year-old holding midfielder Carlos Baleba, who the Seagulls value at £100million.

Mainoo, who has beefed his body up this summer, looked at home as a No 8 for two pre-season games during their US tour.

But new arrivals Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha are set to start the season as the two No 10s, meaning skipper Bruno Fernandes is expected to make a permanent switch to a deeper midfield role.

The only reasonable spot left for Mainoo would be next to Fernandes in the double pivot — but Casemiro and Ugarte seem to hold favour there.

With United out of Europe, there will not be as many opportunities to play in the reduced schedule.

MAN UTD PLAYER RATINGS: Bryan Mbeumo eases pressure on Bruno Fernandes but Matheus Cunha lacks sharpness vs Fiorentina

BRYAN MBEUMO showed fans what they’ve been missing as Manchester United beat Fiorentina 5-4 on penalties in their final pre-season friendly.

United were a mixed bag in their final summer warm-up game- and the only one at Old Trafford – before the start of the new season next Sunday.

United unveiled their four new signings but it was Benjamin Sesko – who was announced from RB Leipzig before kick-off – that got the loudest roar from fans.

And this match proved how much they needed him…

Here’s how SunSport’s Man Utd reporter Katherine Walsh rated the players…

And if Mainoo keeps warming the bench, it does not bode well for his chances of making Three Lions boss Tuchel’s squad for the World Cup next summer.

Mainoo got the last 20 minutes of United’s final pre-season friendly against Fiorentina on Saturday, before his team-mates made a beeline for him after he scored the penalty-shootout winner after a 1-1 draw.

It has gone quiet on the new contract and bumped-up wages front for Mainoo.

The club have struggled to nail him down to fresh terms, with Chelsea and Tottenham now waiting with open arms.

While fellow Cup final scorer and academy graduate Garnacho is up for sale, losing Mainoo would be a devastating blow.

He is a Mancunian through-and-through and a boyhood fan.

With the 1958 United supporter group set to protest against Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Glazers before Sunday’s Prem opener against Arsenal, their outrage would pale in comparison to the grief of losing Mainoo — and especially to a rival.

Man Utd’s transfer deals

IN

• Bryan Mbeumo – from Brentford – £71m
• Matheus Cunha – from Wolves – £62.5m
• Diego Leon – from Cerro Porteno – £7m

TOTAL – £140.5m

OUT

• Victor Lindelof – released
• Christian Eriksen – released

TOTAL – £0m

MAN UTD TRANSFER NEWS LIVE

JOSHUA ZIRKZEE’S first season in English football has hardly gone to plan – but he could be key to another United raid on Bologna this summer.

Swiss winger Dan Ndoye is being watched by the Red Devils and has been shining for the Italian club this season.

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He is being targeted by Napoli coach Antonio Conte as he looks to replace Kvicha Kvaratshkelia.

But also on their list for that role is United’s Alejandro Garnacho – who was the subject of a £40million bid in January.

If they do come back for Garnacho then Ndoye, 24, could be of interest to United and Zirkzee would have a vital role to play.

The pair are friends after their time together in Italy and the Dutchman could help turn his head towards Old Trafford.

Bologna do not want to sell but would have to listen if offers of around £30m come in for him.

Mainoo contract standoff

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KOBBIE MAINOO’S return to action after two months out injured is certain to bring his future back into focus.

Last month, it was revealed he is weighing up a move abroad with United’s new contract offer short of what he was hoping for.

Mainoo – who turns 20 this month – has two years left on his contract and currently earns around £20,000 a week.

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His representatives want terms that would reflect the England international’s standing in the squad.

Their demand for around £180,000 per week is unlikely to be met by United as they look to get control of their wage bill. 

But there is still hope an agreement can be reached to keep the man who scored in last season’s FA Cup final at Old Trafford.

If not then it gives United’s hierarchy a big dilemma – they know selling a homegrown talent, who is valued at more than £70m, would be huge for the bottom line on their profit and sustainability sheets.

As well as clubs around Europe, Chelsea are likely to be watching the situation closely.

On the way?

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ANDRE ONANA was described as “one of the worst goalkeepers in United’s history” by one of the club’s former players this week.

But according to reports in Italy, he could soon be replaced as Old Trafford number one by Brighton’s Bart Verbruggen.

AC Milan are pushing to sign the Dutch goalie, 22, but are concerned that they could face competition from the Red Devils for his signature.

Dutch delight

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DUTCH star Matthijs de Ligt is doing all he can to get back from his injury after turning his ankle in the closing stages of the first half of the defeat at Forest last week.

The 25-year-old defender was spotted this week being put through his paces in the pool by a United physio at the luxury Hale Country Club.

A fan who saw him feared the rehab session meant the pool at United’s Carrington training complex – famously slammed by Cristiano Ronaldo for its condition when he returned to United for a second time – was again in a state of disrepair.

But sources confirmed the pool is open and De Ligt was just doing extra work in the hope of getting back on the pitch soon.

Wayne’s world

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MAN United legend Wayne Rooney has millions in the bank following his hugely successful playing career.

But while he’s out of management after leaving Plymouth four months ago, Wazza loves nothing more than going back to his home area of Croxteth and having a couple of pints with his mates.

A source said: “Wayne is really enjoying his down time while he waits for his next management job.

“He could go afford to go anywhere in the world, but he is a frequent visitor to Croxteth.

“He loves it because he can be himself and enjoy a drink with his old pals.”

Traffic troubles

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EUROPA League trips for Manchester United’s stars just got more gruelling – after building work at a private terminal means they can no longer drive directly to Manchester airport.

For the game against Lyon, the players had to park at Carrington and then be bussed to the airport, adding around 45 minutes to the journey time.

It means when they return home, they will then have to go back to Carrington to collect their vehicles and then drive home, pushing back their bedtimes and affecting their recovery work on Friday.

Toothless devils

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NO wonder United have got Ipswich forward Liam Delap and other forwards in their sights ahead of the summer transfer window.

This will be their worst EVER season for goal-scoring in the history of the Prem – unless they can manage to get 17 in their final seven league games, starting at Newcastle on Sunday.

Their current low is 54 – when Jose Mourinho sacrificed their league campaign to go for glory in the Europa League instead and the current squad – who will be thinking along similar lines – currently have just 37. 

Sunday’s goalless draw with City was the 12th time they have drawn a blank this season.

Rasmus Hojlund has copped much of the blame for United’s lack of goals – after going on a 21-game drought.

That ended at Leicester before the international break but the Dane admitted he asked himself some searching questions.

He said: “It was a vicious circle. We didn’t play that well as a team, and it also affected me. But I’m not the type to lie down and give up.

“That’s also why I played and started in those games. It’s because I’ve continued to work for the team and on my own game.

“I don’t just sit down and say: ‘It’s great that I haven’t scored in 21 games’. I sit myself down and look at my game to see what I can do better.

“I also stand somewhere and think: ‘Why the hell is it that I can’t score?’ Where is it that it’s going wrong?’ “

Pat on the back

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PATRICK DORGU has hardly set the world on fire in his first couple of months since his £30m move to Old Trafford in January.

Yet his former club Lecce have been lost without the Danish winger – and have not won a game since his departure.

They now sit dangerously close to the drop zone in Italy so the money they raised from Dorgu’s sale might come in very useful.

MANCHESTER UNITED fans are dreading the prospect of seeing two senior stars starting against Tottenham.

Ruben Amorim warned that his side had suffered some setbacks in training this week.

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A report from The Athletic has now revealed three of the affected stars are Kobbie Mainoo, Manuel Ugarte and Toby Collyer.

The trio have been a major part of the Red Devils squad in recent weeks, with Ugarte and Collyer in particular providing much-needed energy in midfield.

However, all three are now set to miss Sunday’s trip to Tottenham.

Ugarte and Collyer are said to be major doubts for the mid-table clash, while Mainoo is reported to be sidelined for more than a couple of weeks.

While club captain Bruno Fernandes has filled in as one of the two pivot players in recent weeks, a lack of options up front may prompt Amorim to play him in the front three.

That would leave veteran duo Christian Eriksen and Casemiro as the only two senior midfielders in the squad who can play in the engine room.

However, the pair have a combined age of 65, and it has shown this season.

The last time the pair started together in the Premier League was in the 2-0 defeat to Newcastle at the end of December.

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Since then, Eriksen has played a total of ten minutes off the bench in the league while Casemiro has been a permanent bench-warmer.

Reacting to the potential midfield pivot tomorrow, one fan said: “Good heavens what next??? I see Casemiro & Eriksen starting & getting run through like a hot knife through butter.

A second said: “Hopefully we keep possession if not, Spurs will run this Casemiro and Eriksen partnership.”

Another fan said: “Hopefully one of Ugarte/Collyer will be alright. Otherwise it’s Casemiro/Eriksen again and we saw what happened vs Newcastle United.”

A fourth added: “Casemiro/Eriksen pivot?! We won’t be there!!”

A fifth said: “Nightmare fuel.”

The injury crisis has also seen Amorim call up a number of stars from the club’s Carrington academy.

Jack Moorhouse, 19, is travelling with the first-team squad after an impressive season with the Under-21s.

Amorim, 40, personally watched the midfielder during a 5-1 win over Southampton in December, in which the Manchester-born star scored twice.

Injuries across the board have seen Amorim promote a number of youngsters into first-team training.

Striker Chido Obi and winger James Scanlon were not included with the Under-18 squad on Saturday following their participation in first-team training this week.

Asked specifically about 17-year-old Obi, Amorim said: “I don’t want to say names.

“We have to be careful on that. We have problems this week, we called some young players to be in our training. We have some data evaluation. He is one of them.”

Amorim was forced to name 21-year-old goalkeeper Hubert Graczyk on the Man Utd bench for the first time in the FA Cup triumph over Leicester with both Altay Bayindir and Tom Heaton out injured.

Graczyk is effectively seventh-choice at Old Trafford, but fifth and eighth-choice players Elyh Harrison and William Murdock have been included in first-team training this week.

New arrival Ayden Heaven was also named on the bench after recently signing from Arsenal, while Patrick Dorgu started the game before he was hooked at half-time of the 2-1 win.

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