Didi Hamann has delivered a ringing endorsement of Kobbie Mainoo, insisting the Manchester United midfielder possesses the quality to walk straight into the starting line-ups of the Premier League’s elite.
Speaking amid renewed optimism around Mainoo’s role at Old Trafford, the former Liverpool and Germany international expressed surprise that the teenager ever found himself on the fringes this season.
Mainoo’s campaign began awkwardly after he was edged out of the picture by former manager Ruben Amorim, but his fortunes have shifted sharply following Amorim’s dismissal and the appointment of Michael Carrick as interim head coach.
Under Carrick, the 20-year-old has enjoyed something of a revival, re-establishing himself as a central figure in United’s midfield plans at a time when the club is reassessing its long-term core.
With 18 months left on his current contract, plus a one-year option, United are now preparing to open talks over improved terms, keen to secure a player increasingly viewed as foundational to the club’s rebuild. Hamann believes that reassessment is long overdue.
“I was very surprised with the Kobbie Mainoo situation because when I saw him break through at Man United and then in the Euros, it was just a breath of fresh air. A very clever player. He also scored a couple of good goals – I remember one where he beat two players and curled it into the far corner. He is an excellent player,” Hamann said.
“To not find a place for such a young kid at Manchester United – with the struggles they have at the moment – really flabbergasted me. If he did decide to move away from Old Trafford, he would be good enough to start for Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool or Man City.”
With Casemiro set to depart at the end of the season and Napoli previously monitoring Mainoo’s situation, United’s need to secure the midfielder has only intensified.
Attention now turns to Sunday’s trip to Arsenal, where Mainoo is expected to feature prominently in a match that could underline why he is viewed as the future of United’s midfield.
