Romano: Utd now ‘confident’ they can seal deal with world-class midfielder, Bellingham thinks he’s ‘brilliant’

Keen to make Ruben Amorim’s life as stress-free as possible off the pitch, Manchester United chiefs are working behind the scenes to ensure the squad is up to his standards for the coming seasons.

That includes tying down any integral players who may eventually be linked with moves away. For example, they’re locked in talks with Amad Diallo in hopes of him signing an extension ahead of his current contract expiring next June. If all goes to plan, his new deal may be announced before the new year.

Elsewhere, Kobbie Mainoo’s meteoric rise over the 12 months is set to see him rewarded with lucrative new terms to accurately reflect his instrumental role at the club; Fabrizio Romano claims (via GiveMeSport) the Red Devils are now ‘confident’ in reaching an agreement soon.

The teenager last put pen to paper in February 2023 to extend his stay at Old Trafford until 2027. At the time, he had only made two first-team appearances, both of which came under Erik ten Hag. He earns a reported £20,000 per week as it stands, and while the board mustn’t get ahead of themselves and offer him ridiculously high wages, there’s no doubt the star is deserving of a pay increase.

United have a gem on their hands with Kobbie Mainoo 

Manuel Ugarte’s arrival on deadline day has allowed Mainoo to be granted some much-needed respite this season. He started consistently for the club since breaking into the senior team last November and, upon the culmination of his breakout campaign, was named in Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 squad, where he featured in six of England’s seven matches on their journey to the final.

He then picked up where he left off when returning to United, with Ten Hag deploying the youngster from the off in the first seven Premier League matches of the term until he – unsurprisingly – sustained an injury and was forced to oversee a spell on the sidelines.

Now fit and back in the fold, Mainoo – hailed as ‘brilliant’ by world-class compatriot Jude Bellingham – has enjoyed the same scintillating form under the new boss, more recently coming off the bench to put in a five-star display in Sunday’s Manchester derby triumph at the Etihad.