England and Ghana to battle it out for new United rising star

Manchester United have endured on-field failures for a number of consecutive seasons. Moreover, they have always been renowned for its extraordinary capacity to produce the most promising youthful players in the sport.

The most recent breakthrough talent appears to be midfielder Kobbie Mainoo, who is 18 years old.

The adolescent’s breakthrough from the youth academy on Thursday against Wolverhampton Wanderers was the pinnacle of his nascent career.

In spite of it all, his emergence has been one of the few shining spots in an otherwise mediocre campaign for the club. In the closing moments of the match, Mainoo scored the game-winning goal.

He demonstrated his considerable potential after the host appeared to have secured a draw in the 95th minute.

The English youth player received the ball under duress outside the opposition’s penalty area. Then, he slalomed towards the net while nudging a Wolves defender.

In fact, Mainoo maintained his composure and placed a flawless shot into the far corner at a time when other players might have panicked. Interestingly, the rising star appeared to be unfazed by the midst of his teammates’ jubilant celebrations.

Following his first Premier League goal, he knelt down and approached the audience. It was a pivotal moment and a prospect that had the potential to alter his career permanently.

What did Ghana say?

Mainoo’s inclusion in United‘s best XI is already evident.  On Sunday, the midfielder contributed 63 minutes to the Red Devils’ 3-0 victory over West Ham.

Moreover, compared to Casemiro, he is more dynamic and possesses greater skill. Additionally, he is more physically robust than Christian Eriksen. As a result, it is not surprising that he is attracting attention.

Recently, he has produced performances that have garnered him extensive acclaim, and his development has not gone unobserved in Ghana. Their objective is to convince him to change his allegiance.

Even though his parents are of Ghanaian descent, Mainoo was born in Stockport. He has even has represented England in three distinct age categories. It has come to light that the Black Stars are attempting to convince him to abandon the Three Lions in favor of the African titans. 

“The Ghana Football Association is interested in monitoring, attracting, and persuading all eligible talents for its various national teams. Kobbie is definitely one of these incredible talents, and the association would love to work with him and many like him at home and abroad”, a Ghana FA representative stated to The Times.

England promise to battle as well

In the midst of it all, England’s Gareth Southgate is reportedly contemplating including the United star in his March squad.

Mainoo has been the subject of evaluations by Southgate and his coaching staff, who are now highly considering a call-up. This is according to sources with knowledge of the situation who spoke to HITC.

The emergence of Southgate’s interest in the player coincides with Ghana’s prospective efforts to convince the 18-year-old to change allegiance.

“England are not worried about losing players, and any interest in Mainoo is fully down his progress and nothing to do with any potential interest from other nations”, the source said.

Photo credit: IMAGO / Sports Press Photo