Man Utd gem could be "the world’s best"but he’s becoming the new Mainoo

Manchester United are a club who have been known to develop numerous world-class talents over the years, many of which have had a huge impact on the first-team.

The Red Devils have their wonderful academy setup to thank for their success, which produced the Class of 92’ – arguably the most iconic group of academy graduates in football history.

The group racked up over 3000 combined appearances for the club, helping Sir Alex Ferguson make the club the most successful side in Premier League history.

However, in 2025, Ruben Amorim is the manager tasked with developing the prospects who emerge out of the youth system and restoring the glory days at Old Trafford.

He currently has numerous top-level talents within his ranks, but it appears as though he’s massively mismanaging one player, which could lead to an extremely unpopular departure.

The decline of Kobbie Mainoo at Man Utd

Back in the 2023/24 campaign, United appeared to have unearthed yet another top-level talent from their academy in the form of central midfielder Kobbie Mainoo.

At the tender age of just 18, he burst onto the scene and racked up 32 first-team appearances and scored on five separate occasions, with many of which coming in key moments.

The teenager’s most important goal no doubt came in the FA Cup final against rivals Manchester City, subsequently helping Erik ten Hag claim his second trophy with the Red Devils.

However, in the last 12 months, Mainoo has endured a steep decline in minutes under Amorim’s guidance, with the 40-year-old evidently not seeing him as part of his plans.

The Englishman has only made 39 appearances since his arrival last November, but only six of which have come from a starting position – with the rest being off the substitutes bench.

In 2025/26 alone, the now 20-year-old has continued to struggle further, subsequently making 10 league appearances, but none of which have been from the start.

He’s only racked up a total of 183 minutes of league action, which works out to just 18.3 minutes of football every time he’s brought off the bench to make an impact.

As a result, the midfielder has been strongly touted with a winter move to join Napoli, which could lead to an unpopular move away from his boyhood club in the months ahead.

The United star who could become the next Mainoo

Ahead of the new year, Amorim could face numerous selection issues as numerous members of his first-team squad look set to join up with their nations ahead of the African Cup of Nations.

Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui look all set to feature for their respective countries at the tournament, which could leave the Red Devils short in numerous key areas.

The forward department could become somewhat depleted, given that the former duo of the trio have often operated alongside one another in the Premier League this campaign.

Dipping into the transfer market could well prove to be an option for the manager, but that would involve splashing the cash after already spending £200m in the summer window.

As a result, the academy could once again provide a reliable source of talent, with Chido Obi one player who deserves an opportunity to thrive in the senior ranks.

The Dane joined the club from Arsenal in the summer of 2024, originally linking up with the youth squad, subsequently scoring just 17 times in 21 games across various levels.

His subsequent form led to a senior call-up under Amorim last season, with the 18-year-old making eight first-team appearances, but was unable to find the back of the net.

Obi, who’s been tipped to be “one of the world’s best” by Leny Yoro, has since dropped back into the U21 ranks this campaign, making 13 appearances to date, and scoring five times whilst laying on two assists for his teammates.

Benjamin Sesko and Joshua Zirkzee are the two senior centre-forward options currently available, but the duo have only scored a combined two goals in the Premier League this season.

Such a lack of quality should open the door for the youngster to stake his claim for a regular starting position once again, but it appears as though Amorim isn’t keen on the centre-forward.

It could lead to yet another Mainoo situation unfolding ahead of the supporters’ very eyes, which could result in the Red Devils losing yet another one of their most promising talents.

His goalscoring record at youth level is evidence of the quality he possesses in the final third, but it’s crucial the manager backs Obi to provide the goods at Old Trafford.

Mainoo is an example of the quality of player available when putting faith into the club’s academy, but ultimately, Amorim is showcasing his ignorance, given the lack of minutes.

As a result, Mainoo could well depart the club, with Obi too potentially getting frustrated with his lack of first-team action if the manager continues to look past each of the talents.