Kobbie Mainoo has made an impressive start to life in Manchester United's first-team, with the midfielder now set to be rewarded for his performances against Everton and Galatasaray
18:45, 02 Dec 2023Updated 18:51, 02 Dec 2023
Kobbie Mainoo is set to double his wages at Manchester United after making an electric start to life in the first-team - but he hasn't signed a new contract.
Mainoo was handed his full debut in the win over Everton, having recently returned from an injury that has ruled him out since pre-season. The midfielder earned massive plaudits for his performance, with the 18-year-old looking the most mature player on the pitch.
He followed that up with another impressive display against Galatasaray, as he came on as a second-half substitute. The early signs will have delighted boss Erik ten Hag, who has been desperate for anything positive given his side's dreadful season so far.
Mainoo's performances have now earned him a major pay rise, even though he is not signing a new contract. According to the Daily Star, a clause in his current deal allows for a huge 100 percent pay rise once he becomes a regular in the United team.
The midfielder signed that contract, which sees him earn a wage of £10,000 per week, earlier this year and runs until the summer of 2026. He is now close to seeing that upped to £20,000 per week, with Ten Hag likely to hand him regular game-time.
Since he arrived last summer, Ten Hag has instituted a policy of tightening up on the wages that are offered to younger players. It appears though that they are still willing to reward progress with pay-rise incentives.
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Mainoo's performances have certainly impressed his manager, with the 18-year-old also travelling up to Newcastle on Saturday. Ahead of that clash against the Magpies, Ten Hag insisted Mainoo is ready to be a first-team player.
''If he is ready or not. And he showed, on Sunday, he was ready. Then we have to manage three games in six days to get the best results in all of those games," the United boss said at his pre-match press conference.
"We have more than 11 players and we have good options there, like Sofyan [Amrabat], who also showed [that] as he played a very good game. We have many options but we have to manage the load of the players. It is also about freshness as well.
''His scanning, it always looks like he has time. Because of his scanning, he is running free and the scanning to see the options and then make the right decisions. He can delay, he can speed up and he makes the right decisions.
“We had some experiences in the last couple of weeks with Copenhagen, with Everton, Galatasaray. We are looking forward again and that is the best as a football [team], that you have such experiences and such challenges that energise you, as an individual and as a team."
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