‘Should’ve just gone’: Man Utd ace sent stark warning by Ferdinand who says he’s ‘wasting’ his career at OT

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·10 décembre 2025

‘Should’ve just gone’: Man Utd ace sent stark warning by Ferdinand who says he’s ‘wasting’ his career at OT

Rio Ferdinand has echoed the stances of ex-Reds Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt in encouraging Kobbie Mainoo to leave Manchester United.

If former players who actively support the club are saying it, it only emphasises how dire the youngster’s situation is, given he was once considered one of the brightest prospects in the Premier League and across Europe.

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Yet, in order for him to continue his development to, ideally, become one of the world’s best in his career, he simply has to be playing regular football, which he isn’t as things stand.

Mainoo navigating a heavily reduced role at Old Trafford

(Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

Mainoo has made 10 Premier League appearances this term, none of which have come from the off, and he has accumulated just 183 minutes of action since 2025/2026 got underway.

He has been an unused substitute for four whole matches and, in the last three games, has featured for a mere 13 minutes in total.

The 20-year-old currently falls behind Manuel Ugarte in the pecking order, despite his counterpart offering lacklustre displays in recent months and also being linked with a premature sale.

What have the ex-United stars been saying about Mainoo?

(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)

When discussing his situation recently, Scholes and Butt were in complete agreement that they would encourage the youngster to leave United to revive his currently stagnant career – even if it meant to a direct English rival like Chelsea, who’ve previously been among Mainoo’s suitors.

"If Chelsea came in for him, I'd tell him to go!" 😳 Paul Scholes & Nicky Butt think Kobbie Mainoo needs to LEAVE Man United! 👀
– lundi 8 décembre 2025

Now, reacting to the pair’s frustrations, Ferdinand added on his own show: “I saw [Nicky] Butty and [Paul] Scholesy talking about it on their podcast and I totally agree with them. If I think about it and put myself in Kobbie Mainoo’s shoes, I’m out of there, I’ve got to.

“He was playing for England and [was] one of the best players in the tournament [Euro 2024]. Not many people can say they’ve done that. He has just wasted 18 months of his career now at Manchester United.

“He’s probably been there six months longer than he should’ve been. He should’ve just gone, and I think his agent and, more importantly, his family around him have to protect him.

“He might be saying, ‘I love Manchester United too much to go, I want to stay and fight’. But it is going to be two years in the summer. You can’t lose two years in your career. It’s a short career, and you have to make decisions that are best for you.”

Ferdinand continued: “If I were him, I’d say, ‘The manager isn’t going to start playing me now. If you’ve not played me in all these matches that have gone before, you aren’t going to play me now. Let’s just be honest with each other: I’m surplus to requirements. Get me out of here.’”