Three clubs Kobbie Mainoo should consider joining if he leaves Man Utd

The Football Faithful

·8 de marzo de 2025

Three clubs Kobbie Mainoo should consider joining if he leaves Man Utd

Kobbie Mainoo could leave Man Utd this summer after it emerged he may not sign a new contract with his boyhood club.

The midfielder, who has been on the books at Old Trafford since he was six years old, has been a bright spot in an otherwise diabolical couple of seasons for the Red Devils.

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After making his debut as a 17-year-old in 2023, Mainoo has established himself as a mainstay in a dysfunctional United team and played a key role in last year’s FA Cup success.

About to turn 20 in April, the Stockport native is already considering his future. The Guardian claim he is “minded to reject the offer of a new contract at Manchester United and seek a move abroad”. His current deal runs out in 2027, although the club hold an option for an extra year.

That would be a gut punch to United fans, many of whom believe Mainoo has a big future ahead of him. It just may not be in Manchester.

The club are said to value the teenager at £70 million, while the player is looking to greatly increase his £20k per week pay packet. That leaves only so many possible destinations, but we’ve decided to look at a few clubs he should consider joining for the betterment of his career.

These are not necessarily realistic moves, but the ones we think would help him realise his potential and take him to the next level.

Three clubs Kobbie Mainoo should join if he leaves Man Utd

Atalanta

On paper it seems highly unlikely that Atalanta would nab Mainoo. The Bergamo outfit never spend huge transfer fees on new signings and his wage demands may be well out of their range.

But La Dea have a card up their sleeve they could utilise in negotiations with Man Utd: Éderson. The Brazilian midfielder’s exceptional performances this season have attracted a lot of interest, including from United. A swap deal could suit both parties and bring down the overall cost while banking a profit in the PSR accounts for the Premier League side.

Atalanta offer Champions League football and Mainoo could do worse than learn under the tutelage of Gian Piero Gasperini, although his own future at the club is up in the air. Admittedly, this is the least likely place he will end up.

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Borussia Dortmund

The path of young English players moving to the Bundesliga to advance their career is well trodden at this stage. And Dortmund have enjoyed the most success with this transfer strategy.

Mainoo doesn’t have to look far to see how well such a move could work out for him. England teammate Jude Bellingham has provided the template already, jumping from his boyhood team to the German club before winning the Champions League with Real Madrid.

We’re under no illusions that Mainoo will emulate Bellingham, but Dortmund can provide the perfect platform for him to develop into a top player. Their midfielder, littered with aging players such as Emre Can, Marcel Sabitzer and Pascal Groß, badly needs an injection of youth and energy.

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Paris Saint-Germain

There was a time when I would have urged young, ambitious footballer to avoid PSG at all costs, but things are different now at the Parc des Princes. With Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe all gone, the Parisian Galacticos era is over and the focus has shifted.

Luis Enrique has somehow constructed a hard-working, high-pressing, cohesive unit with this squad, something that was once thought to be an impossible task. There’s more emphasis on youth than star names, although they still have their fair share of those.

Mainoo would not walk into the starting XI in Paris, he would have a fight on his hands, but if he wants to be considered among the best in his position then that is a challenge he should relish. Money isn’t be an issue for PSG, but it’s questionable whether they would spend a chunky fee on someone who won’t be an automatic starter.

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