Man Utd Handed Huge Kobbie Mainoo Boost to Extend Unrivaled 89-Year Record

A big Kobbie Mainoo update is music to the club’s ears.

There is reason to celebrate. | Ash Donelon/Manchester United/Getty Images

Kobbie Mainoo is believed to have committed his long-term future to Manchester United. It signifies not only the final step in his remarkable redemption, but also extends the club’s long history of success with homegrown stars.

Mainoo didn’t start a single Premier League game this season until after the club parted with Ruben Amorim on Jan. 4. Since Michael Carrick was appointed interim manager, the 21-year-old has started 12 of 13 league matches—only missing one because of a minor injury.

A new contract for Mainoo has been worked on in recent months, something he was understandably hesitant on before, with the midfielder even asking for a loan back in January. Now, after Carrick teased in March an agreement was “getting closer,” The Athletic reported a new deal until 2031 was being signed at the club’s Carrington base on Wednesday.

Mainoo’s existing contract, due to expire in 2027 but with an option to extend it by 12 months, was signed back in February of 2023, before his senior breakthrough. He was only 17-years-old at the time and had made just a single first-team appearance.

Even with pay rises built into that deal, The Athletic notes that Mainoo has still only been getting a weekly salary in the region of $33,726 (£25,000). Although a factor of circumstance rather than a deliberate attempt to underpay him, that is low by Premier League standards for someone of his reputation and impact. New terms include an “improved salary” on par with other first-team players.

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Homegrown Record Given Fresh Life

Kobbie Mainoo will remain a key player. | James Gill/Danehouse/Getty Images)

Mainoo signing a new five-year contract is a significant boost to Manchester United’s unrivaled record of naming at least one homegrown player in every single matchday squad. The record has stood for almost 89 years, with the first game of the remarkable streak pinned as Oct. 30, 1937.

There had been a time earlier in the season, with Mainoo hugely out of favor and Alejandro Garnacho sold during the summer, when it seemed under genuine threat.

Amorim went on record to declare that he would never allow it to be broken, even if that meant slipping an academy player onto the bench to keep it going. But assurance of Mainoo’s lasting presence comes as a relief to fans, who see youth development as a core identity of the club.

Manchester United have had two notable eras when homegrown players dominated the first team: the 1950/1960s under Sir Matt Busby and in the 1990s/2000s under Sir Alex Ferguson. Neverthless, there has been a steady flow of talents who have kept the record alive across other decades, including the likes of Norman Whiteside, Mark Hughes, Marcus Rashford and Jesse Lingard.

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