Anthony Elanga tells Man Utd they have "next Paul Pogba" as their new superstar
Kobbie Mainoo is Manchester United’s next big star and is comparable to Paul Pogba – according to his former teammate Anthony Elanga.
Mainoo, 18, has only featured a handful of times for United’s first-team but is seen as a solution to the side’s midfield issues. The youth team product is viewed within the club as having the potential to forge a long-term career in United’s first-team squad.
The central midfielder was promoted into Erik ten Hag’s squad for this campaign but has been sidelined in the opening months of the campaign after an injury picked up in pre-season. He has returned to full training and was named on the bench for Sunday’s derby loss to Manchester City.
When asked who the next big academy star at United was, Elanga - who left Old Trafford this summer to join Nottingham Forest - wasted no time in naming the midfielder: “Kobbie Mainoo. He is one of my close guys that I still speak to at United and I believe he is next the top one, his talent is unreal. He has got everything and I just hope United can look after him really well and let him flourish. He is a top player.
“When I played with him in the academy I always thought he had similar attributes to Paul Pogba. They are not the same player but just the way he moves and they can both do everything, defensive, offensive, he has a mixture of everything and is really good on and off the ball.”
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Ten Hag insisted in August that Mainoo "is ready to take the (defensive) role". He would theoretically team-up alongside Casemiro, easing the Brazilian’s responsibilities within the side and providing a platform for the attackers to push forward.
Casemiro, Christian Eriksen and Scott McTominay have all struggled to impose themselves in United’s midfield this campaign, while summer arrivals Sofyan Amrabat and Mason Mount have both yet to hit their stride at Old Trafford.
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Mainoo starred for United during pre-season (Manchester United via Getty Imag)United fans will be lamenting the multitude of injuries but particularly that of Mainoo, who impressed during the pre-season and looked set to feature in the opening weeks of the season had he not been unavailable. With the sale of Fred to Fenerbahce, a door had opened to him this summer.
Mainoo, who had been at the Red Devils since the age of nine, has represented England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 levels, and is widely tipped for a bright future for both club and country. He made three appearances for Ten Hag’s side last term, debuting in an EFL Cup win over Charlton before making his league debut against Leicester in February as a substitute.
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