Man Utd "getting closer" to striking deal with star who "plays without fear"

Manchester United interim manager Michael Carrick has confirmed that the club are getting closer to finalising a new contract with midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

Mainoo had a difficult first half of the season under former head coach Ruben Amorim, and there were doubts regarding his future heading into January.

However, his fortunes changed with Amorim’s exit. Under Carrick, he has been a mainstay in the heart of the midfield alongside Casemiro in the Premier League.

His performances have earned him a recall to the England national side, and he looks a strong candidate to travel to North America for the summer World Cup.

The 20-year-old’s current deal at United expires in June 2027 with an option for another 12 months, and Carrick seems confident that he will commit his future to the club.

Speaking ahead of tonight’s Leeds United game, the 44-year-old said the club are ‘getting closer’ to a renewal and are ‘positive’ about striking an agreement.

He said: “Obviously, we’d like to think so, yeah, and it’s getting closer, so we’re positive with that. We’re calm with it, but we’re positive with it. Time will tell how it goes, but at the moment we’re in a good place with it.”

Mainoo struggled to break into the United XI under Amorim, who preferred to play Bruno Fernandes in a central midfield position alongside Casemiro in a 3-4-2-1 formation.

There were genuine questions regarding the midfielder’s long-term future at the club, but Amorim’s exit paved the way for a return to the traditional 4-2-3-1 set-up.

As a result, Mainoo has become a mainstay in central midfield once more, with Fernandes operating in the number 10 role, where he has dazzled with plenty of goal contributions.

It appears to be a no-brainer decision to secure Mainoo’s future. The midfielder, who ‘plays without fear‘ according to Como manager Cesc Fabregas, could sort out fresh terms soon.

The Red Devils recently confirmed Harry Maguire’s new deal until June 2027. A similar announcement could be made on Mainoo, who could extend his stay for at least four years.

Stats from Transfermarkt.com

Article written by Sri Aswin .