Manchester United’s teenage midfield starlet, Kobbie Mainoo, is set to receive a bumper pay rise after breaking into Erik ten Hag’s first-team plans at Old Trafford.
According to The Sun, Manchester United midfield sensation Kobbie Mainoo is set to double his wages before the end of the year due to a clause in his contract. The 18-year-old is regarded as one of the highly-rated prospects in the Red Devils’ setup and has been a rare bright spot for a struggling Manchester United side in recent weeks.
The academy graduate first caught the eye of Erik ten Hag during the pre-season tour of the United States. But he was denied the opportunity to make his mark in the early parts of the 2023/24 campaign due to a serious ankle injury.
However, after recovering from the injury problem, he has begun making a name for himself on the first team. He made his first Premier League start in the 3-0 win over Everton last weekend, putting in a man-of-the-match display that earned him his first Champions League appearance against Galatasaray during the week.
Ten Hag also selected Mainoo as a starter ahead of summer signing Sofyan Amrabat against Newcastle United on Saturday, and he looks set for an important role throughout the remainder of the campaign.
That will come with a reward, with The Sun reporting that Mainoo is set to double his earnings without signing a new Manchester United contract. The Stockport-born midfielder is currently on a modest £10,000 per week at the Theatre of Dreams. But his salary will soon double to £20,000 per week owing to a clause in his contract.
Back in February, the Red Devils tied the teenage lynchpin down to a new long-term deal until the end of the 2026/27 campaign, with the option of an additional 12 months. Those terms apparently include a clause stipulating that his wages would rise to £20,000 when his first-team appearances hit double figures.
Mainoo is now just four games away from activating that, which is expected to happen this year itself, with seven games left for the Red Devils before 2024. While his wages will rise further as he becomes an established member of the first team, the report claims that United are eager to keep their academy stars grounded after having had their “fingers burned in the past” by handing hefty wages to kids, with Adnan Januzaj being mentioned as one of many examples.
