Man Utd ‘Close’ on Double Contract Boost to Banish Ruben Amorim Era From Memory

One of Ruben Amorim’s most vilified exiles has performed a miraculous U-turn in his absence.

Ruben Amorim (left) was sacked by Man Utd after just 14 months. | Robbie Jay Barratt-AMA/Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

Manchester United are reportedly “close” to agreeing new contracts for Kobbie Mainoo and Harry Maguire, the two players who have arguably blossomed most in the absence of sacked head coach Ruben Amorim.

Mainoo’s existing deal is set to expire in 2027, while Maguire remains only a matter of months away from becoming a free agent. Both had been tipped for new clubs while Amorim was still at the helm, but the pair has enjoyed a remarkable uplift since Michael Carrick’s appointment.

Negotiations are at an “advanced stage,” according to The Athletic. Mainoo and Maguire could even have their new contracts in place in time for a trip to the World Cup with England. The concussive speed of this turnaround has been staggering.

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Kobbie Mainoo Set for ‘Significant’ Salary Bump

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It’s been quite the few months for Mainoo in particular. The United academy graduate spent the summer repeatedly being linked with a move away, which the player himself was believed to have been pushing for.

A jostling queue of suitors formed behind the talented midfielder only for Amorim to turn them away. United’s squad was too thin to lose a backup option like Mainoo, he reasoned. Yet, there was no spot for him in the first XI.

Amorim started Mainoo in just one of the 21 matches he oversaw this season before getting sacked in January. The Portuguese coach argued that, in his two-man midfield, Mainoo was directly competing for a starting spot with club captain Bruno Fernandes, who was never going to get dropped.

Tensions reached such a point that Mainoo’s half-brother Jordan Mainoo-Hames was pictured at Old Trafford wearing a “Free Kobbie Mainoo” T-shirt.

Carrick’s arrival coincided with a change of system, reintroducing a three-man midfield which could accommodate (and complement) Mainoo and Fernandes, as well as Casemiro. The 20-year-old homegrown gem has consequently started United’s last 10 fixtures, flourishing in a role which exploits his well-rounded technical skillset and hides some of the concerns Amorim had about his physicality by having enough cover around him.

This swift uptick in form has coincided with renewed negotiation talk. Mainoo signed his current deal on Jan. 1, 2023, when he was only 17 and was yet to even make his senior debut. The terms of his contract reflect that junior status, and The Athletic claim that he is set for a “significantly improved salary” should he put pen to paper on a deal which stretches to 2031.

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Harry Maguire’s Man Utd Arrangement

Maguire has reasserted himself as an important Man Utd player. | Shaun Brooks/CameraSport/Getty Images

While Mainoo’s salary has skyrocketed, there is little chance that Maguire’s has enjoyed the same upward trajectory. If anything, a reduction is the more likely outcome.

There is no mention of Maguire’s fresh terms in the latest briefing, but previous reports have claimed that a new deal for the 33-year-old hinged on him accepting a lower salary. In turn, Maguire is thought to have pushed for a multi-year contract.

In a way, he’s got it. The report claims that United’s talismanic center back is in the process of finalizing an agreement for a one-year extension, which contains the option to add an extra 12 months. Which party—the player or club—can trigger that wrinkle in the contract is not mentioned.

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Mainoo, Maguire Pushing for 2026 World Cup

Kobbie Mainoo (left) and Harry Maguire were both called up by Thomas Tuchel in March. | Robin Jones/Getty Images

England manager Thomas Tuchel had come under some scrutiny for the lack of Manchester United players named in his first few squads since taking over the post in January 2025. After calling up both Mainoo and Maguire for March’s friendlies against Uruguay and Japan, he was keen to add: “It’s good to make the point I have nothing against Manchester United. It’s just to acknowledge the achievement of Manchester United, as a team.”

Mainoo and Maguire have both embodied that collective improvement as ever-presents under Carrick, which Tuchel noted. “I think they have had an outstanding run since Michael Carrick is in charge. Harry and Kobbie have been a big part of that,” he told assembled media.

“So, it’s like I said, the last camp before the U.S. and the last chance also, for me, to get to know new players and to learn about new players. Kobbie is one of them, Harry is not a new player in an England shirt, of course, but is new to me in a camp.

“I want to see them around other players, I want to feel them around the pitch and see what they are capable of, and learn about them, and then will make a clear decision in May.”

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