After a successful 2025/26 season under the guidance of Michael Carrick, Manchester United entered the transfer window with one goal: to improve their central midfield department.
Casemiro’s departure from Old Trafford has only reinforced the need for further reinforcements, with a number of big-money targets now on the club’s radar.
Elliott Anderson, Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes have all emerged as key targets, but the aforementioned trio have all joined other teams in the Premier League this summer.
The Red Devils have since looked elsewhere in recent weeks, having subsequently completed the moves of Andrej Santos and Youri Tielemans from Chelsea and Aston Villa respectively.
Despite the recent addition of two players to the Theater of Dreams, Carrick and INEOS continue their efforts to find a new partner for one current senior team member.
What’s next for Koby Mainu, who was snubbed at the England World Cup?
After Carrick took over as interim United manager, academy graduate Coby Mainu was given another chance to shine at the top.
The Englishman has started all but one of the Red Devils’ games since the 44-year-old arrived, leading to him being included in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad.
However, the 21-year-old was only one of two outfielders on the team who did not play a single minute during the entire tournament in the United States.
The situation will no doubt take a toll on the midfielder’s confidence, but Mainu will have a desperate point to prove when he returns to Premier League action.
Minimum playing time for an England outfielder at the World Cup | |
|---|---|
player | minutes |
Coby Mainu | 0 |
Trevor Chalobah | 0 |
Ivan Tony | 1 |
ollie watkins | 6 |
jordan henderson | 6 |
Dan Burns | 32 |
Jarrell Quansah | 117 |
god bless you | 130 |
He has proven during his recent spell under Carrick that he is capable of producing results. His 1.1 successful dribbles per 90 puts him in the top 6% of players in England’s top flight.
The youngster was United’s tempo-setter at the base of midfield and went on to complete 90% of his pass attempts, averaging 51/90.
However, if Mainu is to continue his impressive form with the Red Devils in the Premier League, they will need to add a defensive option alongside him in the heart of the side.
Why United’s £42m target is perfect for Mainu
Signing Santos and Tielemans in this period would inject further quality into Carrick’s squad, but there is no denying that both players are very similar to Maynou.
Both of the aforementioned duo are more comfortable with the ball at their feet than without it, highlighting the need for an additional ball-winner in the coming weeks.
The recruiting team has been working hard behind the scenes in recent weeks to identify the qualities of players needed to fill the holes on defense.
Roma star Manu Cone has emerged as the club’s latest target, with journalist Ben Jacobs providing an update on the current moves to sign the France international.
“The situation with Cone is that they (United) have asked the players about him and they like him,” the same reporter said in the United stand on Thursday.
“I think the players are willing to move, but we’re not there yet so we’ll have to wait and see what happens between the clubs.”
A transfer fee of around €50m (about £42m) has been mooted to sign the 25-year-old, but the deal could be a summer bargain for Carrick’s side.
His stats at the ongoing World Cup highlight his quality without the ball and could make him the perfect partner for Mainu in the Red Devils’ central midfield.
The Frenchman made five appearances during the tournament in America, posting an impressive 5.8 ball recoveries and 1.6 tackles per 90.
Both of the aforementioned numbers highlight his incredible ball-winning ability and will be music to Mainoo’s ears as he looks to retain his starting position at Old Trafford.
Cone also won 4.2 ground battles and only completed 0.4 dribbles per 90 attempts. This number further emphasizes his great ability to disrupt the opponent’s flow.
The figure of 2.7 defensive contributions per 90 only reaffirms his great ability without the ball and confirms Thierry Henry’s praise that he is “one of the best midfielders”.
United’s interest in the connection highlights the ambitions of the leaders to add a top-level defensive operator to the heart of their squad, despite the recent transfers of Santos and Tielemans.
It is no surprise that Mainou remains the home of Carrick’s team, and the partnership between the English and French stars will set the club up for success in the coming years.
