Man Utd
Ferdinand: Mainoo Should Study Casemiro’s Route Back into the United Team
Rio Ferdinand urges Kobbie Mainoo to learn from Casemiro’s fight to regain a Manchester United place
Rio Ferdinand has urged Kobbie Mainoo to take inspiration from Casemiro as he looks to revive his prospects at Manchester United. Ferdinand argued that the Brazil international’s return to the starting line-up under Ruben Amorim offers a blueprint for a young player pushed to the periphery.
Casemiro is now among the first names on the team sheet in Ruben Amorim’s resurgent side, perhaps at Mainoo’s expense. The 20-year-old academy graduate has struggled for minutes under the Portuguese boss and has not started in the Premier League this season. A request to leave on loan in the summer was rejected, leaving Mainoo forced to accept short cameos late on in games while his dreams of travelling to the 2026 World Cup with England appear to fade.
Ferdinand was clear that he did not want to see Mainoo abandon his United career and highlighted the example set by Casemiro. “Watch and learn,” he said on YouTube. “There was a player being told he’s not good enough for Manchester United, exactly what Mainoo’s been through. I think character-wise, personality-wise, there’s a lot to learn from Casemiro.
“Yes there’s football-wise too but they are very different players.”
He also pointed to the value of fighting for a place at the club and criticised the attitude of some academy graduates. “[Casemiro’s fight] is what I think a lot of fans would have wanted from Rashford, from [Jadon] Sancho from Antony, those guys have gone elsewhere now,” Ferdinand said. “Especially Rashford because he’s homegrown. Just stay and fight, be here and fight for it, be a Man Utd player, hold on, grit your teeth and hold on by your fingernails. But sometimes it’s just not the way.”
On Mainoo’s immediate chances, Ferdinand acknowledged the competition he faces. “You’ve got Casemiro, a man in form and Bruno [Fernandes], the most exciting player we’ve got, it’s going to be hard for Kobbie to get in here right now,” he acknowledged. The message was straightforward: learn from Casemiro and keep fighting for minutes at Old Trafford.
Aston Villa
United Weigh Sancho’s Future as Villa Loan Fails to Gain Traction
United face a decision over Jadon Sancho after a limited loan at Aston Villa failed to revive his value.
Manchester United remain uncertain about Jadon Sancho’s next step after his loan spell at Aston Villa has produced limited minutes and little market momentum. United had hoped the loan would mirror Marcus Rashford’s six-month spell at Villa Park in the second half of the 2024–25 campaign, but that scenario has yet to unfold.
Sancho has made just five appearances for Villa so far and was substituted after being introduced from the bench in Sunday’s 1–0 victory over Manchester City. The Manchester Evening News report United have not agreed a plan for Sancho’s next move.
The 25-year-old’s contract at Old Trafford runs until next summer, with United holding the option to extend for a further 12 months. Letting the deal expire would mean United accepting a total loss on the £73 million they paid in 2021. Extending the contract would preserve the possibility of a fee in a sale but would carry the risk of another 12 months of his substantial wages if an acceptable offer does not arrive.
United see no long-term future for Sancho at the club and are hoping a successful loan at Villa Park will sustain some value and attract interest next summer. Any decision on the contract extension is expected later in the season, once Sancho has had more time to demonstrate his form at Villa.
Sancho’s start at Villa has been slow. He played just eight minutes across his first three Premier League games before illness sidelined him. He returned to start in the midweek Europa League defeat to Go Ahead Eagles, his second start for the club, but drew attention when he was substituted on and then off in the same match against his former employers.
Emery addressed the episode and acknowledged the player’s feelings while underlining fitness concerns. “Yes, sure [Sancho] is not happy, but I did it before with Morgan Rogers, with Emiliano Buendia, with Leon Bailey, and he played 60 minutes on Thursday,” Emery explained. “When [Buendia] was injured, my plan was maybe in case [Sancho] was going to play 30 minutes, but I decided to play more and he played 45 minutes.
“But my plan was when he was swapped with Emiliano Buendia, the idea was maybe not playing all the minutes until the last moment. And I told him as well, he can feel it, it’s embarrassing.
“Before Morgan, Emiliano Buendia and Leon Bailey, they felt the same when I subbed them, but it was not a punishment. And now it’s not a punishment.
“He played 45 minutes, I am so happy because his impact was good, his electricity, his skill, but then to play more than now… he’s not ready, fit, to play 90 minutes, 45 minutes is not easy enough for him and I am happy and of course, progressively he’s coming better and better.”
Man Utd
When Manchester United Last Strung Together Five Straight Wins
United are two wins from a five-game streak that would fulfil Frank Ilett’s haircut wager.
Manchester United are two victories short of a five-game winning run that would deliver on a public promise from Frank Ilett, a.k.a. The United Strand, who offered to get a haircut if the club achieved the streak. A 2-0 victory over Sunderland before the international break extended United’s current run to three wins and left them sixth in the Premier League table, above Liverpool.
Ilett has not cut his hair for more than a year and suggested his wait may end on November 8. His challenge was a wry response to a difficult period for the club, and it is notable that United had managed a similar sequence only months before his wager began.
Erik ten Hag’s first season in charge produced tangible success. “They won the EFL Cup and returned to the Champions League under the Dutchman,” and Ten Hag then faced a tougher second season. The 2023/24 campaign contained few high points until the FA Cup final victory that persuaded INEOS to retain Ten Hag.
The run that offered hope began in late January. On January 28 United beat Newport County 4-2 in the FA Cup fourth round after the Welsh side had levelled the score at 2-2. Antony and Rasmus Højlund scored in the second half to secure progression. That result preceded a four-game winning sequence in the Premier League during which Højlund found the net in each of the victories.
United beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 4-3 courtesy of a stoppage-time finish from Kobbie Mainoo, then recorded a 3-0 win over West Ham United with an Alejandro Garnacho brace. A 2-1 win at Aston Villa featured a Scott McTominay winner in the 86th minute. A Højlund brace inside seven minutes produced a fifth successive victory away at Luton Town, but the run ended the following weekend at home to Fulham.
United remain in pursuit of five consecutive wins in all competitions and five straight Premier League wins. They technically began the 2023/24 season with a Premier League victory at Wolves, after finishing the previous season on four successive wins.
Bournemouth
United’s early £50m approach for Semenyo rebuffed as Bournemouth hold firm
United lodged a £50m bid for Antoine Semenyo in early summer but Bournemouth rejected it. Contracted.
Manchester United submitted a reported £50 million approach for Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo during the opening stages of the summer window, only for the Cherries to decline the offer. Tottenham Hotspur also made an attempt to sign the winger following his 2024–25 return of 11 goals and six assists, but Bournemouth elected to keep their player.
United had completed a separate £62.5 million move for Matheus Cunha in early June and then moved to sign another attacker, a campaign that ultimately produced Bryan Mbeumo. United appear to have explored Semenyo as an alternative during those discussions, given negotiations with Brentford over the Cameroon international proved to be both long and expensive, ultimately concluding with a handshake over a £71 million fee in late July.
Bournemouth’s refusal was influenced by Semenyo’s stated preference to remain and continue his development on the south coast. His loyalty was rewarded with a new contract and a pay rise in July. While he is now tied to Bournemouth until 2030, Semenyo is still seen as a likely candidate for sale next summer. The Ghana international’s new contract even includes an undisclosed release clause to help facilitate an exit further down the line.
That clause gives United the option to revisit interest next summer if they choose. Any move, however, will have to account for the structure of Ruben Amorim’s squad, where there no longer appears to be an obvious place for another high-cost forward after striker Benjamin Šeško completed a new-look trio which cost over £200 million by the end of the summer.
Recent speculation has also linked Semenyo with Arsenal and Liverpool. Semenyo is a self-confessed fan of the Gunners, a detail that could hand Mikel Arteta’s side a boost should they decide to pursue a deal in the next window.
