Kobbie Mainoo will sign a new five-year contract at Manchester United on Wednesday, finally committing his long-term future to the club.
Daily Mail Sport understands that Mainoo’s family are at Carrington to see him complete the deal until 2031, catapulting him from £20,000-a-week to parity with many of United’s stars on around £150,000.
Mainoo and his representatives have been in talks with the club for nearly two years, and appeared to have reached an agreement last February but United didn’t sign off on the deal amid uncertainty over Mainoo’s future under Ruben Amorim.
The final obstacle to the new contract being signed is understood to have been image rights, but once that was removed it was only a matter of time before Mainoo put pen-to-paper just a week after his 21st birthday.
While negotiations have dragged on, the young midfielder was the lowest-paid senior member in United’s squad despite playing alongside Casemiro, who earns £375,000-a-week.
However, the biggest issue was Amorim who relegated Mainoo to the bench for much of his 14 months in charge, insisting that he was in direct competition with Bruno Fernandes for a place.
Academy graduate Kobbie Mainoo is set to sign a new contract at Manchester United until 2031
Mainoo’s new deal will see him increase his wages by 650 per cent and to £150,000-per-week
Mainoo has been reborn under Michael Carrick (left) after being overlooked by Ruben Amorim
Stockport-born Mainoo was intent on leaving the club, despite being a jewel of United’s academy, and twice had requests to join Napoli on loan rejected.
He has flourished since Michael Carrick replaced Amorim in January, starting 12 of the new head coach’s 13 games in charge and only missing the defeat to Leeds through injury.
Mainoo has also regained his place in the England squad under Thomas Tuchel, with high hopes that he will go to the World Cup this summer.
Amorim’s departure was also the signal for United executives to re-open contract talks, and they will be delighted to have tied Mainoo to a long-term deal at last.
United are already likely to be in the market for midfield replacements for Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte this summer, and didn’t want to have to sign a third player in that area of the team.
