Kobbie Mainoo: Thiago delivers bold verdict on Man United star | OneFootball

Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has yet to feature at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, despite lighting up Old Trafford in the second half of last season. The English midfielder was initially a peripheral figure at the Theatre of Dreams under former head coach Ruben Amorim and appeared to be on his way out ahead of the January transfer window.

All that, however, changed after the Red Devils opted to part ways with the Portuguese at the turn of the year and appointed Michael Carrick as his replacement. The English manager was quick to restore Mainoo to the starting XI, and the young midfielder has not looked back since.

The 21 year old started all but one of the 17 games under Carrick, helping the Premier League giants secure third place in the league table.

Kobbie Mainoo Stats: 2025/26 Season

Source: Transfermarkt.

Mainoo’s resurgence has raised further questions over Amorim’s decision to bench him during the first half of the campaign. INEOS are now looking for the academy graduate’s ideal partner in midfield this summer.

Former Bayern Munich and Barcelona midfielder Thiago Alcantara recently sat down with United legend Rio Ferdinand for a conversation where they discussed the English midfielder in detail.

Thiago loves United’s new maestro

When Ferdinand declared his love for Mainoo on Rio Ferdinand Presents, Thiago responded: “I love it [Mainoo] too.”

The Spaniard went on to stress that the young Englishman works best as an eight in midfield. He explained: “I would play him because he’s capable to defend, to be aggressive, but then with the ball he’s able to help the defenders to bring the ball to the place that will decide the game.”

“He’s able to dribble, to arrive to the ball, to score goals. So you are an 8. With the way he behaves on a pitch, you couldn’t believe him as a number 10. You have to leave him in the middle as a number 8, knowing that there’s someone behind him kicking someone.”

“Because if he gets in the ball, he will give it, and he can progress with the ball and arrive to the box. And if the number 6 needs some help, he will come to help.”

Room for improvement

Thiago went on to insist that despite Mainoo’s immense quality, there is still room for improvement. He added: “He’s young, and sometimes because of the motivation to play games at a young age, you just overdo things.”

“Sometimes he wants to do more than he should do in the game, but for his age, he’s winning amazingly.”

Mainoo rose through the ranks at Old Trafford before breaking into the first team under former manager Erik ten Hag. He starred against Manchester City in the memorable FA Cup win in the 2023/24 season under the Dutch manager.

Final Thoughts

Mainoo was tipped for great things before his progress stalled under Amorim. Thankfully, things are back in order, and with the player already agreeing to a new deal in April, the future looks bright for United.

Featured image by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images

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