Update: |Sir Alex Ferguson’s right-hand man begs Man United to build team around one star News

Manchester United are at risk of losing Kobbie Mainoo with contract negotiations currently stalled, and regardless of the fee, Rene Meulensteen believes that would be a mistake

Rene Meulensteen has urged Manchester United to build the team around Kobbie Mainoo amid ongoing uncertainty around his Old Trafford future.

The 61-year-old, who spent several years as Sir Alex Ferguson’s assistant, is a former United academy coach with an eye for young talent, having helped develop the likes of Marcus Rashford, Paul Pogba and Jesse Lingard. Speaking to Discasino, he labelled Mainoo “brilliant” and said it would be “very sad” if the club allowed an academy graduate with such a high ceiling to leave.

“Kobbie Mainoo looked brilliant when he stepped into the senior Manchester United team from the youth setup,” Meulensteen said. “He has his entire career ahead of him and the team should do what they can to keep him; I’d be very sad if they decided to sell him.

“At the end of the day, they don’t have another young and energetic midfielder like him. He has proven that he can play at that level.”

Mainoo, 19, has been a bright spark in an otherwise gloomy period for the Red Devils. He emerged from the academy as one of English football’s best midfield prospects in 2023, and ended his first full campaign with an FA Cup triumph and a starting berth for England at Euro 2024.

His contract expires in 2027, with the option of an additional year, and while United are eager to tie him down to a bumper deal, talks have been stalled for some time. With the club under pressure to raise funds amid looming PSR concerns, it’s understood they’d be prepared to sell Mainoo for the right price, especially if contract negotiations fail to progress.

But Meulensteen thinks doing so would be a grave mistake, and has urged his former club to get Mainoo’s future resolved as soon as possible. “I wouldn’t be hasty to let him go, but it’s clear that he has fallen to the wayside – the situation needs rectifying,” the Dutchman stressed.

“It may be as a result of financial regulations that they are looking to explore a deal with clubs for him. But to me, he looks like the kind of player that you would build that side around for years to come.”

Mainoo began the 2024/25 season in the same rich vein of form that saw him shine at the end of the previous campaign. However, his progress has been disrupted by injuries. He spent Erik ten Hag’s final month at United on the treatment table, and hasn’t played since early February due to an unspecified muscle problem.

Chelsea showed interest in the midfielder during the January transfer window, though no formal offer was made. Meanwhile, Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on Mainoo’s situation. The Spanish giants are believed to be keen on adding him to their expanding English core, with Trent Alexander-Arnold tipped to join Jude Bellingham at the Bernabeu this summer.

United aren’t planning for life without Mainoo just yet, and there’s optimism that a contract extension can be agreed in the coming months. However, the club’s fragile financial situation could complicate matters.

As a homegrown talent, any transfer fee for Mainoo would count as ‘pure profit’ on the books, making a sizeable offer difficult to ignore – especially with United under pressure to comply with the Premier League’s financial regulations.