Owen Hargreaves believes Kobbie Mainoo can become one of the world's best midfielders after Manchester United cruised to a 4-0 Champions League victory over Sabah at Old Trafford. The former Red Devils midfielder heaped praise on the 21-year-old academy graduate, insisting he has the potential to be a "superstar" and the heartbeat of United's midfield for years to come.
United's dominant return to Europe's top table
Back in Europe's premier competition for the first time since 2023, United eased past tournament debutants Sabah in front of their own fans. Matheus Cunha opened the scoring after 27 minutes, before quickfire goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko put Michael Carrick's side in total control at half-time. Lisandro Martinez added a fourth in the second half, capitalising on a goalkeeper mistake to seal a comfortable victory.
With a derby against Manchester City on Sunday, Carrick made several changes to his starting line-up for Thursday's win, but he kept his preferred midfield duo of Youri Tielemans and Mainoo. Mainoo, who had fallen out of favour under previous boss Ruben Amorim, has been revitalised under Carrick and thrived in the second half of last season as United climbed back into the top four.
Hargreaves: 'I've never seen Kobbie play bad'
The 21-year-old had a difficult summer with England at the World Cup, but he appears to have put that behind him with another commanding performance against Sabah. Speaking to TNT Sports, Hargreaves was effusive in his praise, saying: "I've never seen Kobbie play bad. Every time I watch him play football, I think, 'How can somebody not play this young man?'"
"I just think he's a fabulous football player. Academy-grown, didn't cost a club a pound, and when you think about some of the fees that these players are going for. Obviously, they signed Santos and Tielemans for 85 [million] combined. Baleba was probably 70 million. What would Kobbie be worth? It's worth more than them all. No disrespect to any of them, but I just love his game," Hargreaves added.
What makes Mainoo special
Hargreaves highlighted Mainoo's technical ability and composure under pressure as key attributes. "I think he can do so much, and it only really depends on who he plays with and who plays next to him. But I think Kobbie can kind of do everything in there. You can just pass him the ball anywhere at any time. Technically, just so gifted, glides with the ball. That's what a Man United midfielder needs to do at all times," he said.
"Obviously, with Bruno in front of him, whether he plays as a six or an eight, he's what you build around. He's a star. I think he's gonna be a superstar. He's only 21 years old, and he plays like he's 30. That's how he plays football in the most stressful environment – just chilled," Hargreaves continued.
The importance of a midfield partner
Hargreaves stressed that United must find the right long-term partner for Mainoo to maximise his potential. "United have got to find who's going to be Kobbie's partner because he's going to be at this club hopefully for a very long time. I think there's a potential to be one of the best midfield players in the world, but it's more about personnel and who plays alongside him to get the best out of his attributes," he concluded.
Mainoo's resurgence under Carrick has been a key factor in United's improved form, and with the derby against Manchester City looming, the young midfielder will be expected to continue his impressive run in the heart of the team.
