As England prepare for Wednesday’s showdown with Argentina, remember Manchester United’s Koby Mainu. The 21-year-old became a lonely figure in his role as the Three Lions’ forgotten man.
Ruben Amorim, or rather, Thomas Tuchel, has repeatedly overlooked the Stockport-born sensation in previous competitions and has done nothing but unleash the youngster in midfield.
Whether it’s the middling form of Declan Rice, the injury-prone full-back Reece James or the natural number 10s of Jude Bellingham, Morgan Rogers and Eberechi Eze, a number of players, including veteran Jordan Henderson, are now candidates ahead of Mainu.
Questions remain as to why the United player was chosen in the first place, but in any case, the loss of Tuchel could well mean the acquisition of Michael Carrick.
Why Mainu’s disdain for the England international could be good news for Manchester United
Perhaps Tuchel shares Amorim’s concerns about Maynou’s mobility and athleticism, but those traits did not seem to matter at Euro 2024, as the then-teenager led Gareth Southgate’s side to the finals.
After struggling in the group stages, the involvement of the Carrington alumni proved essential to at least boost their performance in the finals, with Mainoo showing particular strength in the semi-finals against the Netherlands.
Unfortunately, it doesn’t seem likely that it will affect him again this time around, and it’s certainly possible that the young midfielder will return to Old Trafford later this summer, tooth and nail, with a point to prove after the frustrations of the last month or so.
He is no stranger to doubters, overcoming a difficult period under Amorim in 2025 and emerging as a central figure under Carrick in 2026, only missing out on the defeat to Leeds United at the end of the season.
He had a point to prove after being left out cold by his Portuguese coach, and he did so in style, quickly securing a well-deserved and lucrative new contract and cementing his place as the Red Devils’ brightest youngster.
With Carrick at the helm on a permanent basis, Mainoo will be able to improve further. His national team colleague Elliott Anderson may have commanded a £116m transfer fee this summer, but is United’s number 37 a ‘£100m footballer’ in his own right?
In any case, Mainu will continue to be a mainstay in the midfield next season, but the question will be who will be his partner.
Manchester United in talks to sign another £85m sensation Maynou
Whether their signings are appropriate is another question, but there is a lot to like about the way Man United have run their business so far, having signed Andrej Santos and Youri Tielemans almost out of the blue.
In the case of Tielemans in particular, the Belgian captain was signed, sealed and delivered before he could blink, with both players joining for a combined fee of £85m. This is the same amount as Tottenham Hotspur paid for Matheus Fernandes.
With Casemiro gone and Manuel Ugarte expected to be sidelined for the foreseeable future, the possibility of a third midfield signing has not been ruled out, with The Athletic’s David Ornstein stating in the latest deal sheet that INEOS remain interested in Lille’s Ayyoub Bouadi.
The Red Devils, along with Manchester and Arsenal, have been in talks with the player’s agent over the past 12 months, further increasing the teenager’s status amid Morocco’s stellar World Cup.
Lille are waiting for the competition to end before making a decision on the 18-year-old’s departure, believing they can sell him for a transfer fee of around 100 million euros (approximately 8.5 billion yen).
It remains to be seen whether he will be loaned out again to France for the next campaign, but in any case he is the type of person that Carrick and co can build a midfield alongside Mainu for the next decade or so.
Similar to Mainu two years ago, Bouadi really came alive on the world stage, particularly in the draw against Brazil in the group stage.
An eye-catching and elegant midfielder, the Lille starlet has seized his opportunity on the international stage with both hands and has already made nearly 100 first-team appearances at club level.
He’s classy and composed, yet has the power and composure to push forward from his No. 6 spot, and is certainly Minoo-like in that regard, as evidenced by his average of 1.1 successful dribbles per game in Ligue 1 last season.
Buadi vs Mainu – 25/26 Stats | ||
|---|---|---|
Buadi | Statistics (*per game) | Mainu |
30(28) | Game (start) | 28(16) |
0 | the goal | 1 |
1 | assist | 2 |
3 | A big opportunity has arisen | 1 |
0.7 | Key pass* | 0.8 |
85% | Pass accuracy* | 89% |
1.1 | It was successful. dribble* | 0.7 |
2.9 | Tackles and interceptions* | 2.0 |
0.5 | Dribbling breakthrough* | 0.4 |
9.5 | Ball lost* | 7.1 |
Like most United players, he isn’t necessarily the most outstanding name statistically, registering just one assist in 2025/26, averaging just 0.7 key passes and 2.9 tackles and interceptions per game.
By comparison, Mainu had three goals and an assist per game, averaged 0.8 key passes, and only made two tackles and interceptions.
Still, that doesn’t tell the whole story. Like his midfield counterpart, Bouadi is just plain fun to watch. There’s a natural, almost uncoachable quality to his game.
Impressively, he took just 0.5 dribbles per game last season, and Mainu himself only made just 0.4 dribbles per game, so despite his youth, the £85m sensation won’t be so easily evaded.
The similarities are clear, with United’s need for a dominant ball-winning midfielder, but acquiring a truly elite ball-playing option like Tielemans or Bouadi alongside Maynou would be a nice change of direction.
