MANCHESTER UNITED OPEN URGENT CONTRACT TALKS WITH KOBBIE MAINOO FOLLOWING CASEMIRO’S DEPARTURE NEWS
Manchester United confirm Casemiro will leave in 2026. Michael Carrick opens new contract talks to keep Kobbie Mainoo at the club.
Manchester United are ready to get back to contract talks with Kobbie Mainoo now that Casemiro’s exit is official.
Mainoo’s situation has been all over the place this season. Michael Carrick brought him back into the squad, and that loan move to Napoli? That’s off the table. Mainoo actually agreed to a new deal last year, but Ruben Amorim never signed it off. So now he’s got 18 months left on his current contract, plus an option for another year, but he’s still earning less than most of the first team.
Under Amorim, Mainoo’s future at Old Trafford looked shaky. The Portuguese manager only started him once this season, away at Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup, before getting the sack. The press kept asking Amorim why Mainoo wasn’t playing, and things got so tense that Mainoo’s brother, Jordan Mainoo-Hames, showed up at Old Trafford in December with a shirt saying “Free Kobbie Mainoo”.
With Carrick in charge, things are changing. Last weekend, he played Mainoo on the left of a midfield three in United’s 2-0 win against Manchester City, alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes. Carrick’s always been a fan—he told Rio Ferdinand last September that United should “build around” Mainoo, calling him the kind of academy player the club needs. Carrick said Mainoo’s more of an attacker, not a holding midfielder, and that he just needs a bit of patience and a break.
Funny enough, against City, Carrick used Mainoo in a deeper role. Mainoo didn’t pick out any killer passes from his 32 completions, but he showed real grit, racking up 77 pressures as United pressed City all over the pitch.
Mainoo had been pushing for a move when Amorim cut his minutes, but now everything’s up in the air again—especially since Casemiro just announced he’s leaving United at the end of the season. Casemiro’s contract was set to end this summer, and even though the club could have triggered another year, he personally asked United to clear things up for the fans.
United have been gearing up for a big midfield shake-up, eyeing up to four new signings. Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson and Brighton’s Carlos Baleba are right at the top of their list.
By announcing his departure before the Arsenal game this weekend, Casemiro’s making it easier for both sides to plan for the future and cut down on all the rumours. LA Galaxy and other clubs in MLS, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil are all circling him.
With the World Cup coming up this summer, a bunch of MLS teams are hunting for European players on free transfers—guys who can boost the league’s profile, help the sport grow at the grassroots, and bring in more money. Casemiro fits that bill perfectly.
STOPPAGE TIME SAVER: BENJAMIN SESKO RESCUES MICHAEL CARRICK’S UNBEATEN STREAK AT WEST HAM
Benjamin Sesko saved Manchester United with a 96th-minute flick after Tomas Soucek put West Ham ahead. Read the full 2026 report.
Manchester United left it late, grabbing a dramatic draw against West Ham at the London Stadium. Tomas Soucek seemed to have won it for the Hammers with his second-half goal, but Benjamin Sesko popped up in stoppage time with a clever finish to snatch a point for United, who’ve been on a good run. The first half really dragged. United couldn’t break West Ham down at all. Everyone in a claret shirt just sat deep. Luke Shaw came closest, but Aaron Wan-Bissaka cleared his shot off the line.
After the break, things actually got interesting. Four minutes in, Soucek bundled one in from close range. Casemiro thought he’d levelled things up after an hour, but VAR ruled his header out for offside. Both teams had chances as the clock ran down, but it was Sesko who finally found the net deep into stoppage time, saving United right at the end.
Man United player ratings vs West Ham
Senne Lammens – 6
Came up big early to deny Summerville from a distance. No chance with Soucek’s goal.
Diogo Dalot – 4
Had a tough time with Summerville’s pace and kept giving the ball away. Picked up a needless yellow.
Lisandro Martínez – 6
Easily the most composed passer at the back, breaking lines a few times. Solid defensively for the most part.
Luke Shaw – 5
Almost scored in the first half, but his shot was cleared off the line. Then stepped out of position before Soucek’s goal, which cost United.
Casemiro – 7
Pretty solid in midfield—broke up play and timed his tackles well. Scored with a header, but it didn’t count.
Kobbie Mainoo – 6
Kept things ticking in the middle but couldn’t really hurt West Ham. Lost Soucek for the goal.
Amad – 5
Had a decent look before halftime but hit the side netting. Didn’t offer his usual spark.
Matheus Cunha – 4
Barely got involved. Dropped deep to get on the ball but didn’t do anything with it.
Bryan Mbeumo – 5
Ran hard, tracked back, and helped defensively, but didn’t threaten much in attack.
Joshua Zirkzee – 6
Came on for Maguire for the last 20 minutes and made a couple of crucial blocks as West Ham pressed for another.
Benjamin Sesko – 7
Subbed in for Cunha in the second half and poked home in stoppage time to grab United a point.
DISCOVER WHICH MANCHESTER UNITED STARS WILL MISS THE WEST HAM CLASH
Michael Carrick confirms Mason Mount and Matthijs de Ligt will miss Manchester United’s clash with West Ham as the win streak nears 5.
Here’s the latest on Man United’s injury list and who’s likely to return when they take on West Ham.
Man United head to the London Stadium on Tuesday night without three key players. All of them are still recovering. Michael Carrick, who’s already chalked up four straight wins since taking over, is aiming to stretch that run to five. United are right in the mix for a Champions League spot now, just three points off third-placed Aston Villa.
They’ll want to keep racking up points, but after the West Ham game, there’s nearly a two-week gap before they play Everton. That’s not enough time for any of the injured guys to make it back for West Ham, though Carrick’s hoping at least one of them will be ready for the Everton trip later this month.
So, who’s out? The same trio that missed the weekend win over the Spurs. None of them will feature in East London. De Ligt hasn’t played since beating Crystal Palace at the end of November. Carrick says it’s still too soon to predict exactly when he’ll be fit again.
Dorgu is dealing with a hamstring injury from the Arsenal match last month. He’ll be out for about two months and probably won’t return until after the March international break. Mount has already missed the last two games after picking up a small knock in training. He won’t make it in time for West Ham, but Carrick expects him back to face Everton.
“Mason probably won’t be ready for Tuesday, probably after, but definitely by the Everton game, he’ll be back,” Carrick told reporters before the match. “Matta, we’ll see how he gets on… the Everton game still feels a way off, so we’ll just have to watch his progress. He’s doing well, heading in the right direction, but Mason’s a bit closer.”