There’s one burning question emerging within Manchester United at present and all are directed at Ruben Amorim – what’s happening with Kobbie Mainoo?
The Englishman was seen as one of the Premier League’s most exciting before the manager’s arrival, but he’s been unable to showcase such talents over the last few months.
He’s mainly been utilised as an impact player, as seen by his tally of six appearances in the league in 2025/25, all of which have come off the substitutes bench, totalling 118 minutes.
Mainoo has gone from an England international mainstay to a player now behind the likes of Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte in the pecking order at Old Trafford – a truly unthinkable thought 12 months ago.
His lack of action will no doubt have had an effect on his progress with the Red Devils, which could see him fail to match the expectations of the fanbase who have previously compared him to a former player.
The reasons behind Paul Pogba’s downfall at Man Utd
As a result of his impressive start to life in the United first-team, Mainoo was tipped to emulate the levels produced by midfielder Paul Pogba during his own time at the club.
The Frenchman cost a staggering £89m in the summer of 2016, a deal that still remains a club-record, leading to huge expectations being placed on him to impress at Old Trafford.
He often matched them in the early stages, as he became known for the odd world-class goal, something which he perfectly demonstrated against Young Boys in 2020.
However, his second stint with the Red Devils was far from plain sailing, with the players often coming into question for various aspects of his game during his six years in Manchester.
Pogba often struggled with his fitness at United, even being forced to train away from the first-team squad during Michael Carrick’s temporary spell in charge back in 2020.
The French international was also quizzed over his best position in the side, with his attributes often not fitting the demands of various managers at the club.
It was largely unclear if he was more suited to a deeper role at the heart of the side or a box-to-box role – but ultimately it contributed to his downfall and subsequent exit.
He would leave the Red Devils for a second time in the summer of 2022, rejoining Juventus on a free transfer for the second time in his professional career.
However, a little over three years on from his exit, current boss Amorim may have stumbled across his next version of the fan-favourite in a somewhat unlikely source.
The Man Utd player who’s Amorim’s own Pogba
Despite Mainoo’s availability over the last few months, the United hierarchy have been on the hunt to land a new midfielder to help bolster Amorim’s squad.
Such an area of the pitch has been brought into question over the last couple of months, with claims that the side have often been overrun in that department – subsequently leading to their dismal league standing last season.
However, it appears as though the 40-year-old has somewhat put an immediate fix to the issue, as his side have claimed four wins in their last six outings across all competitions.
Amorim has even claimed back-to-back wins for the first time in his tenure over recent weeks, highlighting that he’s finally starting to realise what his best starting eleven is.
Despite fixing the midfield issue, he already has his next Pogba in the form of forward Joshua Zirkzee – a statement that may come as a surprise to many supporters.
Whilst the pair operate in hugely different positions during their respective periods with the Red Devils, they both possess serious similarities in numerous key areas.
Upon his arrival at Old Trafford in the summer of 2024, many questioned the Dutchman’s fitness levels – even citing that he looked overweight despite scoring the winner against Fulham on his debut.
Despite being labelled “phenomenal” by one analyst, he’s struggled to nail his place down after Amorim’s arrival, with uncertainty around his best position undoubtedly at the forefront of the manager’s mind.
The 24-year-old even stated that he sees himself as a 9.5, often liking to drop deeper and affect the player, rather than operating as a poacher like Benjamin Sesko.
Games played
32
Goals & assists
4
Pass accuracy
72%
Shots taken
1.8
Chances created
0.8
Dribble success
38%
Aerials won
29%
Times dispossessed
2.8
Such a playstyle likely contributed to the Red Devils’ measly tally of just 44 league goals last season, with Zirkzee suffering with a lack of action after the club’s £200m spending spree.
He’s so far only featured for 74 minutes during 2025/26 to date, leading to huge rumours about a potential exit away from the Theatre of Dreams in January.
It’s a real shame to see his move to England fail to hit the heights many anticipated, but it’s further evidence of his similarities to Pogba, given his own demise in the Premier League.
Both are evidently more suited to the Italian top-flight rather than the Premier League, with the recruitment team desperately needing to learn from such examples going forward.