Connect with us

Manchester United

Gareth Southgate to hold talks with Kobbie Mainoo as he is desperate to see him pledge his international future to England 

England manager Gareth Southgate is ‘desperate’ to hold talks with Manchester United wonderkid Kobbie Mainoo in a bid to see him pledge his international future to the Three Lions.

The Daily Star reports that Southgate wants to convince Mainoo not to switch his international allegiance to Ghana as he qualifies for the Black Stars through his parents.

The 18-year-old excelled in his first appearance of the 2023/24 season against Everton on Sunday.

His performance had the United fans and pundits raving about him. Former Man Utd captain Gary Neville showered praise on the youngster while on commentary duties.

Kobbie Mainoo has a bright future ahead of him

Mainoo won all his tackles and achieved 83% passing accuracy. He also won five duels and made three ball recoveries.

Statistics won’t tell how cool and composed he was in the centre of the park.

He occasionally dropped between the centre-backs to allow full-backs to venture forward.

He showed how technically sound he is on the ball, alongside his fine ability to read the game.

The most scary and exciting part is that he is just 18 years old.

Southgate is blessed with many highly talented midfielders such as Jude Bellingham, Declan Rice and Conor Gallagher.

However, there will always be some space for a player as talented as Mainoo.

He could be a perfect partner for Rice at the base of the midfield, with Bellingham performing his magic at the number 10 spot.

It is clear why Southgate would be ‘desperate’ to secure Mainoo’s long-term commitment.

If Man United and the Three Lions carefully handle his development, he could become a future superstar.