Despite the underwhelming performance of the 2023/24 campaign, the Manchester United squad still holds some extreme value.
Yet, if you asked the United fanbase who their most valuable player is, the common answer would be Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese magnifico is simply priceless in the eyes of the Red Devils faithful, which is no surprise considering he’s the best goal scorer and creator in the squad.
Nonetheless, there’s a current United star who’s now become even more valuable than Fernandes, even though he cost the club nothing as a young boy.
Kobbie Mainoo’s rise to success
Prior to last season, Kobbie Mainoo was a name that the Man United faithful were beginning to get familiar with, having seen glimpses of his quality against Charlton Athletic and Reading in the EFL Cup.
After impressing Erik ten Hag, the midfielder was included in United’s pre-season tour, where he initially played against Arsenal before picking up a serious ankle injury.
This kept him out of action until November when he made his first start in the Premier League against Everton alongside Scott McTominay in a 4-2-3-1.
After just his first action in the game, he looked completely unfazed by the occasion, and he starred throughout the game, even winning the Player of the Match award, which was just the start of his incredible rise to the very top.
Kobbie Mainoo’s transfer value in 2024
Since his debut, Mainoo hasn’t gone on to become just a frequent starter for the Red Devils, but he’s now regarded as a key player in the side.
The 19-year-old has become simply irreplaceable, showcasing his complete attributes week in, week out over his 32 appearances.
Considering he’s been deployed in a double pivot all season, his ability to impact the game in the final third has been phenomenal, scoring five goals and provided three assists, which proves that he’s a “world-class” talent, as dubbed by football creator Liam Canning.
One of those goals was the winner against Manchester City in the FA Cup, where he showed incredible composure to slot the ball home via a first-time finish, which proves he’s made for the big occasion.
1. Alejandro Garnacho
£85m
2. Marcus Rashford
£68m
3. Kobbie Mainoo
£53m
4. Scott McTominay
£34m
5. Omari Forson
£8.5m
Due to his rapid rise, Mainoo has quickly become one of United’s most valuable assets in the entire squad, with an estimated worth of £51m.
This is now even more than Fernandes, whose estimated value currently sits at £43m, which is an £8m difference that’s only set to increase as Mainoo continues to thrive.
Furthermore, this makes the England international the third-most valuable player to have graduated from the United academy, only behind Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho.
His £51m valuation also means that he’s the Red Devils midfielder with the highest worth, beating the likes of Fernandes and McTominay.
Fortunately for the new United owners, Mainoo’s value is only set to skyrocket after the European Championships, considering he’ll inevitably play a part for England this summer, not that they’d even begin to consider selling him.
Overall, Mainoo has been truly fantastic this season, and United absolutely hit the jackpot on the youngster. Luckily for them, he’s only going to get even better.
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