Man Utd and England star Kobbie Mainoo was scouted by European giants in an ‘unbelievable’ transfer deal when he was just 11 years old.
One of the best things about the Manchester United team this season has been the quick ascent to prominence of Bobby Mainoo.
However, after it was made public that Juventus had shown interest in Mainoo when he was just eleven years old, that nearly didn’t happen.
3Juventus were interested in Mainoo when he was just 11Credit: https://twitter.com/P_Klama
When England played Belgium, he was brilliant.Regards: Getty
According to reports, the Serie A powerhouses saw him as “the next Paul Pogba” and hoped to pull off the same ruse as when they acquired Pogba from United as a young player for nothing in 2012.
Polish journalist Pawel Klama talked to TalkSPORT about how he first noticed Mainoo.
In 2016, he witnessed a United youth team compete against the Polish team Akademia Pilkarska Wisly Krakow in the Murapol Cup.
That particular day, Mainoo was used as an offensive midfielder, and Klama noted that it was evident he had talent, saying, “During the Legia Cup he caught the attention of many people.”From the officials overseeing the competition to the personnel of other teams—including Juventus, whose coaches inquired about my knowledge of him—to the spectators at the event.
“That’s pretty much it—they were interested in him.
The majority of teams expressed their admiration for him, his style of play, and his maturity for a football player at this level of development.
“Whether there was any interest at a later stage, I don’t know.””
The Italian team, who signed Mainoo as a young player from UnitedCredit: EPA, saw him as “the next Paul Pogba.”Despite missing the first half of the season due to injury, Mainoo has only made 23 appearances for United this season, but he has already earned two caps for England.
Given his early play, Klama feels it’s not surprising that he was a star player during England’s 2-2 draw with Belgium.”What distinguished him at this age—at the U11 team level—was his self-confidence,” Klama stated. Playing 1 versus. 2 or even 1 vs. 3 didn’t scare him.
“He had excellent skill and played well with the ball at his feet.
“However, his leadership of the team at such a young age garnered the greatest attention. He wasn’t really a leader, but the other lads paid attention to him. It was clear he was onto something.
“Having watched the Manchester academy for nearly 15 years, he is undoubtedly one of the most generational talents there. He was undoubtedly one of those young lads who drew attention right away.
“We all know about the Class of 92, but honestly I’ve never seen then or now a kiddo like him.””
