Coach Koby Mainu may already be fearing the worst for this summer’s World Cup. England manager Thomas Tuchel appears to have chosen someone other than the Manchester United midfielder who won their first match against Croatia.
There were no big surprises in Tuchel’s starting XI, but eyebrows were raised when Jude Bellingham was slotted into a deep role alongside Manchester City-bound Elliott Anderson in place of the absent Declan Rice.
Even more interesting was the subsequent decision to shift Reece James into a central role following Bellingham’s own departure, raising questions about where Mynoux would actually fit in the midfield pecking order.
However, two years ago, the then-teenager played just four minutes in the first two group matches of Euro 2024, before starting every knockout game, including the final.
Mainu at Euro 2024 | ||
|---|---|---|
they will object | start | minutes |
Serbia | no | 4 |
Denmark | no | 0 |
Slovenia | no | 45 |
Slovakia | yes | 84 |
Switzerland | yes | 78 |
Netherlands | yes | 90 |
Spain | yes | 70 |
As he showed in the 2025/26 season, the 21-year-old has quickly established himself as Michael Carrick’s go-to player in midfield and is used to taking chances.
Manchester United hope to sign Mainu’s partner quickly
It was just a few months ago that Mainu appeared destined for a loan move in January, with his role limited under manager Ruben Amorim, and he also attracted interest from Chelsea last summer.
Having just signed a new long-term contract, his decision now is not whether he should stay or not, but rather which midfield player is best suited to complement him following Casemiro’s departure.
The aforementioned Anderson appeared to be a top target for INEOS, but the 23-year-old is likely to head to the Etihad unless something goes wrong.
That leaves United pursuing West Ham United’s Matheus Fernandes instead, with Fabrizio Romano revealing on his YouTube channel that the Red Devils are still “pushing” to sign the Portuguese playmaker.
Romano says there is rival interest from Real Madrid, but United and Tottenham Hotspur currently have the greater financial resources, and both Premier League sides want to conclude a deal “as soon as possible”.
A source close to the transfer said that despite Spurs being in the slot, INEOS “remains committed” to their own pursuits, with talks appearing to be ongoing over a reported £80m asking price.
Why signing Fernandes is perfect for Mainu
The legacy of Amorim’s time at United, apart from his obsession with a 3-4-2-1, will be the Portuguese’s stubborn refusal to give Mainu a significant role. That’s because the youngster didn’t make a single Premier League start in the first half of the 2025-26 season.
Right from the off under Carrick, the Stockport sensation made his former manager look pretty foolish and started every game since then, apart from the defeat to Leeds United.
His top score against Liverpool was undoubtedly his deciding factor, but no one will forget his spectacular skid at home against Bournemouth, a moment that once again showed what a talented player he is.
One concern, as Amorim had, has always been Maynou’s mobility and ground-covering ability, but that may be where Fernandes proves important, including his workmanlike all-action style.
The 21-year-old was part of West Ham’s top midfield duo alongside experienced Tomas Sawczek last season, and was omnipresent at times, putting out fires all over the park for the Hammers.
He averages 3.9 tackles and interceptions and 5.1 ball recoveries per game in the top flight, in fact, exceeding Casemiro’s averages of 3.5 and 4.1 respectively in the same two metrics.
It could be argued that Mainu already had a talent for the ball-winning style in the form of Manuel Ugarte, but this combination never blossomed, perhaps due to the Uruguayan’s struggles in possession.
The 25-year-old had limited playing time in 2025/26, but his passing accuracy was only 85%, he averaged just 0.1 key passes per game, and he carried little progressive and creative burden on those around him, including Mainu.
Fernandes is a player who has come a long way and in that sense, this young man is very calm and in control of possession, yet has a sharp and inquisitive nature to the game.
In fact, he boasts an excellent passing accuracy of 87%, averages one key pass per game, and represents the type of player Mainu can work with as part of the right partnership to produce results.
Carrick looked to be getting the best out of the pairing of Casemiro and Mainu, but there were times when the midfield still looked exposed and neither had the legs to keep up with their opponents.
Fernandes would be the perfect addition in that regard. Unlike Ugarte, he is able to match Maynou as an attacking threat, but is also comfortable dropping deeper, thus negating the need for the Englishman to constantly dictate the flow of the game.
It’s a bit of a risk to trust two players who are only 21 years old, but Carrick could very well be the perfect coach to blossom a fruitful long-term pairing at Old Trafford.
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