Kobbie Mainoo to suffer with Man Utd ready to sell player who 'looks out' for him

Kobbie Mainoo is the present and future of Manchester United’s midfield, but he is expected to lose a key ally in Casemiro this summer. The experienced Brazilian has supported his incredible breakthrough this season ahead of a likely departure in the upcoming transfer window.

Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS are preparing to oversee an exodus from Old Trafford at the start of their rebuild, and Casemiro is among the players in the shop window.

The 32-year-old has spent less than two years at United since his £70million arrival from Real Madrid, but he has seriously struggled to perform this season.

Now, amid interest from Saudi Arabia, the Red Devils will reportedly cash in this summer and add energy to their troublesome engine room.

Mainoo has been a shining light amidst Erik ten Hag’s dismal second season in charge, establishing himself as a crucial player and a figure to build around for years to come.

Casemiro’s experience and attitude will have undoubtedly rubbed off on him, and the Brazil captain has made no secret of his admiration of the “complete player” United have on their hands.

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“I think speaking about Kobbie [Mainoo] specifically, I think in the next three or four years, he’ll be one of the best midfielders in the Premier League,” Casemiro explained.

“[He’s] an excellent player. I can see that he enjoys being on the pitch. I look out for him because he needs it, and we can’t put too much pressure on these players.

“So, I try to take some of that pressure off their shoulders because that’s the process in football and life.

“We can’t put that pressure on him now or on Garnacho, or Rasmus. No. Ultimately, they need to enjoy themselves.

“They need to go through this process and feel the fear of losing the ball, to push them to keep growing, to keep learning and to face up to it. Keep developing and keep working hard.”

Mainoo is expected to sign a new United contract that represents his updated first-team status despite committing his future until 2028 last year.

The Old Trafford giants will sign at least one new midfielder to replace Casemiro, with Christian Eriksen, Donny van de Beek and Hannibal Mejbri also up for sale.

Any target is bound to be identified in line with their suitability for operating alongside Mainoo, whose stock will only soar higher if he is named in Gareth Southgate’s England squad at Euro 2024.