Manchester United have a new midfield, with Youri Tielemans and Andrey Santos and Carlos Baleba replacing Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte, the latter having been ruled out for many months after suffering a knee ligament injury this summer.
It wasn’t perfect by any stretch, but it was a more disciplined window than supporters have had to endure so often in recent years. INEOS decided against doing any deadline-day business, though many would argue that Michael Carrick is still short of a left-back to challenge Luke Shaw, who is out of contract at the end of the season.
But sorting out the midfield was always going to be the most critical part of the immediate rebuild, and Carrick and company can safely say that they have achieved that which they set out to achieve.
Bruno Fernandes is surrounded by robust support – but for all the exciting new arrivals, Kobbie Mainoo will still be convinced that he can nail down a starting berth at the Theatre of Dreams this season.
Why this could be Kobbie Mainoo’s year at Man Utd
Mainoo is Manchester United’s homegrown superstar. He has already been through the paces at Old Trafford, cast from contention by Ruben Amorim but putting paid to the former manager’s isolating decision by playing an instrumental role in the Carrick-led resurgence last season.
Kobbie Mainoo in the Premier League | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (* per 90) | 24/25 | 25/26 |
Matches (starts) | 25 (19) | 28 (16) |
Goals + Assists | 0 + 0 | 1 + 2 |
Touches* | 46.0 | 48.3 |
Accurate passes* | 28.6 (87%) | 33.4 (89%) |
Big chances created | 4 | 1 |
Key passes* | 0.6 | 0.8 |
Possession lost* | 8.6 | 7.1 |
Succ. dribbles* | 0.9 (48%) | 0.7 (54%) |
Ball recoveries* | 3.5 | 3.4 |
Def. contributions | 3.1 | 2.9 |
Duels won* | 4.4 (45%) | 3.3 (49%) |
Mainoo was benched as United were defeated at newly-promoted Hull City on the opening day of the season, but he produced a consummate midfield performance alongside Youri Tielemans at Old Trafford last weekend, threading it all together from the heart of the field, winning nine duels, making ten (!) ball recoveries and even completing four dribbles from five attempts, not only a combative midfielder, but someone who will drive play forward too.
Whether the England international, still only 21, will earn as many minutes as he desires remains to be seen, but he certainly didn’t hamper his chances against the Tractor Boys.
Mainoo has every chance of disrupting the integration of some of United’s big-money summer signings, but he too may need to guard his six, with another emerging Carrington midfielder looking to break into the first team.
Meet the Man Utd prospect who could be a bigger talent than Mainoo
Mainoo has settled back into his skin as a core part of the Manchester United make-up, but he has undoubtedly got more work to do before he can confidently say he is one of the first names on the team-sheet.
There is a lot of competition for starting spaces in the centre of the United park, and if academy star Jim Thwaites keeps it up, that central cluster could become more bloated still.
Thwaites, 18 years old, has been a focal part of the Carrington academy system, a ball-playing specialist with vision and intelligence that belies his youth and inexperience.
There is a real sense that he is one of the most gifted prospects to emerge from the youth belt in some time, already a central part of the U21 side, graduating from the U18s before his time.
United have options in the middle of the park, but if the need arises, Carrick could unearth a gem by handing the youngster a chance to prove himself before the end of the 2026/27 season. Thwaites is the real deal, and while he is more of a playmaker than Mainoo, his technical qualities are fit for a team such as Barcelona, and he could be a game-changer for the Old Trafford outfit down the line.
Thwaites might not be a household name just yet – but that is bound to change before long. His technicality and confidence in the middle of the park marks him as a potential superstar, with analyst and Como scout Ben Mattinson even remarking that he looks like he’s “just stepped out of La Masia“.
Mainoo is more of an all-action, powerful midfield type. Thwaites brings elegance and a maestro-like stamp. Both could thrive alongside each other in the future, but if Thwaites keeps it up, he could end up outstripping his fellow academy graduate and becoming a superstar at the Theatre.
