Man United issued key transfer ultimatum as Michael Carrick warned of ‘sackable offence’

Manchester United must stop dallying with Kobbie Mainoo and play him in midfield – or let him leave this summer.

That’s the demand made by Adrian Durham on the latest episode of Fiery Fridays, with his talkSPORT colleague Alex Crook also issuing a warning to head coach Michael Carrick over Mainoo’s involvement.

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Mainoo is arguably the best player to have progressed through the United academy in recent years, with the 21-year-old already on 103 senior appearances across all competitions.

He starred during the second half of last season under Carrick as they qualified for the Champions League.

However, Mainoo did not start in their shock 2-0 defeat to Hull City on the opening weekend of the new Premier League season amid an influx of new midfield signings.

Andrey Santos and Youri Tielemans joined earlier in the summer for a combined £85million, with Carlos Baleba the latest arrival at Old Trafford in a move from Brighton that is worth at least £70m.

Mainoo is therefore facing increased competition in midfield at his boyhood club and Durham believes United need to make a decision on his future, or risk affecting his career.

United must stop ‘messing around‘ with Mainoo

“I’m going to start with a quote,” he said on Fiery Fridays. “This was from a director of football at a top English club, you may be able to guess which one. This quote is from April this year. It’s about a player who went to the World Cup.

“The quote is as follows, ‘He is one of the most naturally gifted young footballers in the world’. The director of football who said that? Jason Wilcox. The player he’s praising? Kobbie Mainoo.

“Since then, United have signed a clutch of midfielders, spending over £150m. Significantly, they’ve spent £70m on another Kobbie Mainoo. Carlos Baleba is box to box, high energy, can play defensive midfield as a speciality as well.

“This is pretty much what I’m hearing Kobbie Mainoo is meant to be, if ever we get to see him on the pitch. Interestingly, Andrey Santos fits a very similar description, defensive midfielder or progressive central midfielder.

“Tielemans is described as the link between defence and attack. These are all very similar players. Mainoo is described as box to box or advanced centre mid. I think we’ll all appreciate he could be more of an advanced midfielder.

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“Now, to be fair to Wilcox, he has said they’re building a squad to cope with all competitions. He said that out loud. United will possibly play 20, 25 more games this season than the pathetic amount of 40 that they did last season because they were so bad… so that’s one reason for so many similar midfielders.

“Mason Mount still lurking in the vicinity as well, by the way. Where does it leave Mainoo? Could it leave him challenging for the no. 10 role with Bruno Fernandes? And if he is, will he ever play football for United again?

“Wilcox describing him as one of the most naturally gifted footballers in the world, high praise. And he signed a contract at that time, keeping him at Old Trafford till 2031.

“Since then, he’s gone to the World Cup only because (Thomas) Tuchel refused to take Cole Palmer or Phil Foden. Didn’t even get on the pitch at the World Cup, with all sorts of stories floating around as to why he didn’t get on the pitch, and none of them good as far as Kobbie Mainoo is concerned.

“And he was left out of the starting lineup for United’s first Premier League game of the season. That’s apparently one of the best midfielders United have ever had, leaving out a midfielder who the director of football seems to love.

“So, what’s going on? United aren’t spending big on midfielders just to leave them out of the team. Do they really rate Mainoo? Is he actually any good?

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“Four years ago, Kobbie Mainoo won the Youth Cup with United. The star of that team was Alejandro Garnacho… we all know what’s happened to him. Is Mainoo going the same way?

“And so, here’s my Fiery Fridays hot take. It’s a message to Man United, really. You’re messing with a player’s career, telling him he’s brilliant, then spending big on other midfielders and leaving him out. Stop messing Mainoo around. United should play him or sell him.”

Carrick decision would be a ‘sackable offence’

Against Hull, Carrick opted for a midfield pairing of Tielemans and Santos, who struggled throughout and were both substituted.

They return to Old Trafford on Sunday evening to host Ipswich Town and Crook believes that if Mainoo doesn’t start, then Carrick would be worthy of dismissal.

After seemingly agreeing with Durham, he added: “You look at the impact he had in the second half of last season alongside Casemiro. He made Casemiro look like his legs hadn’t gone.

“And then Casemiro turned up at the World Cup, played alongside Bruno Guimaraes (for Brazil), and proved to us, actually, his legs have definitely gone, and United were right to get rid of him. So, I think he is harshly treated.

“I think maybe it’s because he’s come through the academy, didn’t cost the club a penny, and therefore it’s easier to leave him out than it is a £70m shiny new toy in Carlos Baleba, or £50m shiny new toy in Andrey Santos, or a £35m shiny new toy in Youri Tielemans.

“But make no bones about it, Tielemans and Santos were a car crash at Hull at the weekend and if Michael Carrick picks that same midfield against Ipswich on Sunday, that is a sackable offence, in my opinion.

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“Kobbie Mainoo has to start this game. Tielemans didn’t look fit, didn’t look up to speed. So I’d imagine it will be Mainoo in alongside Santos. And this is his opportunity, he knows he’s got that pressure coming with Baleba, who’s not fit yet because of an ankle injury.

“So he’s got an opportunity now to nail down a place in the team, to prove Thomas Tuchel he was wrong, to prove the Portuguese idiot (former boss Ruben Amorim) he was wrong, and to prove Michael Carrick he was wrong for leaving him out of the first game of the season.

“United cannot sell this player because the history of this football club is built on nurturing their own talent. It’s built on the Busby Babes and Fergie’s fledglings.

“The production line from the academy has run dry. There’s a lot of high hopes for JJ Gabriel, who was brilliant in midweek, scored a terrific goal. He’s not committed his future yet, and there’s a bit of interest from elsewhere.

“They can’t afford to let one of their rivals come in and snare him away because by all accounts, he is the real deal. But they’ve got to build this team around Kobbie Mainoo.

“So I’ll make you right, Adrian, I don’t think they should sell him. I definitely think they should start him.”