Paul Pogba has suggested that Kobbie Mainoo may have to leave Manchester United for the good of his career, with doubts continuing to emerge over the midfielder’s future.
Mainoo is yet to sign a new contract with United, with his current deal ending next summer, although the club have an option to extend it for one year and are in talks over a renewal.
The 21-year-old had fallen out of favour with previous manager Ruben Amorim, although he has since become a regular under Michael Carrick, but Pogba believes that Mainoo may still be considering his future unless he feels assured over his game time at Old Trafford.
“It’s difficult. It’s really difficult,” Pogba said on Rio Ferdinand’s podcast. “It’s the way how he feels. If he feels that, if he’s good with the manager, if the manager really trusts him, because he’s going to have all the clubs behind him, this is for sure.
“But I don’t know about his contract, because if he will be a free agent, it will be a different story, I think. But, you know, a kid like this, you know, that thinks that he can play and other people think that he can play, his managers pushing him, telling him, you can play in this team, why you don’t play. That also put this in this kid and he’s like, yeah, I should leave.
“Maybe it’s not the right decision. And it’s really hard for me to say he should leave when he’s so loved by the people at United. He’s such a great player, a big potential and he can do a great career at Manchester United also. So, I don’t know, but I just wish him the best.”
Carrick future could have crucial impact on Mainoo contract renewal with Man Utd
Mainoo had not started a Premier League game all season prior to Amorim’s sacking in January but the youngster has since played the full 90 minutes in all but one game under Carrick.
United had been anticipating Mainoo’s impending departure after the academy graduate rejected a new deal last year and had grown frustrated at not being allowed to pursue a loan move away in search of first team football.
However, Mainoo, who has been with United since the age of seven, has enjoyed a resurgence under Carrick and could sign a new deal if the 44-year-old is given the manager’s job permanently, with talks ongoing over a new deal.
Pogba made the decision to reject a new deal with United and leave for Juventus as a 19-year-old and the former French international insisted that his main goal was just to see Mainoo play more games wherever he is.
“He played and he’s such a talented, such a talented kid. He’s still young,” Pogba said. “I don’t know, whatever decision he’s going to take. I just want to see this kid play because it’s enjoyable to see him play.”
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