Michael Carrick’s appointment at Old Trafford could be make or break for the future of Kobbie Mainoo, who has been starved of consistent gametime as of late and has been linked with a move away from Manchester United
Michael Carrick may have very little time to convince Kobbie Mainoo to remain at Manchester United, if the rumour mill churns truth. The 44-year-old was announced as the Red Devils’ interim head coach on Tuesday evening – a temporary successor to Ruben Amorim who was sacked earlier this month.
While Carrick will be eager to guide United to the strongest-possible finish in the Premier League as the second-half of the season plays out, the Englishman will also be tasked with forging a relationship with an inherited squad. One player who Carrick would be wise to work matters out with sooner rather than later is undoubtedly Mainoo.
The 20-year-old saw his game time limited under Amorim, making just one start this term under the Portuguese head coach – and that was in the form of an embarrassing Carabao Cup clash with Grimsby Town, in which, United crashed out on penalties.
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While Darren Fletcher deployed the youngster during the weekend’s FA Cup fixture with Brighton, many fans will be eager to see what Carrick’s plans for Mainoo are. As per the Mail, Mainoo’s relationship with the United board is “fragile” after he failed to see a new contract last year.
The midfielder is also understood to harbour no hopes of hanging around at his current club should his gametime continue to be hampered. It comes as a wealth of clubs have been linked Mainoo as of late, with Napoli thought to be the strongest contenders.
The Serie A club have already demonstrated a keen eye for talent from the Red Devils, with Scott McTominay thriving since making the move to the Diego Armando Maradona Stadium in 2024. The Scottish international was named as the league’s MVP in his debut season, where he also helped Napoli clinch the Serie A title.
As a result, Carrick now has until the tail end of the transfer window to work matters out with Mainoo, or risk losing the young talent altogether – whether that be on loan or a permanent move. It comes as Carrick was unveiled as United’s new interim head coach on Tuesday evening.
In a club statement on Manchester United’s official website, the Red Devils wrote: “Manchester United is delighted to announce the appointment of Michael Carrick as head coach of the men’s first team until the end of the 2025/26 season. Carrick played 464 games for the club, winning five Premier League titles, the FA Cup, two League Cups, the UEFA Champions League, the UEFA Europa League and the FIFA Club World Cup.
“He joined the first-team coaching staff when he retired in 2018 and served under Jose Mourinho and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. Following Solskjaer’s departure, Carrick led the club with distinction during his role as caretaker manager.”
Speaking about the appointment, Carrick explained: “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honour. I know what it takes to succeed here; my focus is now on helping the players to reach the standards that we expect at this incredible club, which we know that this group is more than capable of producing.
“I have worked with a number of the players already and have obviously continued to watch the team closely in recent years, I have total belief in their talents, dedication and ability to be successful here. There is still a lot to fight for this season, we are ready to pull everyone together and give the fans the performances that their loyal support deserves.”
Elsewhere, Jason Wilcox said of the appointment: “Michael is an excellent coach and knows exactly what it takes to win at Manchester United. He is ready to lead our talented and determined group of players for the remainder of the season as we continue to build the club towards regular and sustained success.”
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Sky Sports discounted Premier League and EFL package
Sky has slashed the price of its Essential TV and Sky Sports bundle ahead of the 2025/26 season, saving members £192 and offering more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.
Sky will show at least 215 live Premier League games next season, an increase of up to 100 more.
