Young talent's future hangs in the balance as Manchester United delays contract talks, while his interim manager fosters growth with a hands-off approach.
According to The Sun, Manchester United has not yet begun negotiations with Mainoo to renew his contract. The England international's current contract lasts until 2027, and the report claims he requested to leave the club on loan in the summer.
He had not started in any matches with Ruben Amorim, but has returned to the starting lineup under Carrick since the former Tottenham and United midfielder was named interim manager. United has the option to activate a one-year extension on Mainoo's contract.
Although the midfielder is not yet a finished player, Carrick is deliberately avoiding lecturing the youngster. The manager believes that, after such a mentally exhausting period, the best coaching intervention is often not to intervene at all, letting a "big talent" breathe and find his natural rhythm without the fear of being immediately substituted.
"I've known Kobbie for a long time. I started working with him when he was 13 or 14, when I was starting to get my coaching badges, quite a few years ago now," he told BBC Sport. "Just a little bit. And then, obviously, when I was here the first time, he was kind of around and about a bit.
So I think knowing him and having experience with him, and seeing him perform at that level on such big occasions... I've said before that players have to be able to deal with being here and the level that comes with it. What Kobbie's done at such a young age is truly incredible.
We forget how young he still is. I was a big admirer of his; I watched him play and knew what he was capable of. So it wasn't a difficult decision to play him. And, to be honest, it's not easy to find rhythm and form when you haven't been playing. There are things he can improve, things he can progress in, but we haven't started on that yet because we're letting him find his rhythm."
"I've been very conscious of not giving him too much instruction, just a couple of pointers, some things about positioning, and some details here and there, but I trust what he is. He's a fantastic footballer, and he's a big talent."
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