Manchester United ready to open talks with Kobbie Mainoo over new contract

Manchester United are prepared to return to contract talks for midfielder Kobbie Mainoo following confirmation of Casemiro's departure.

Mainoo has been brought back into the fold by interim boss Michael Carrick and plans to move to Napoli on loan have been shelved.

A new contract was agreed by Mainoo last year but Ruben Amorim did not sign it off.

Mainoo has 18 months remaining on his contract, plus the option of a further year, but is not on parity with other first teamers.

His future at Old Trafford was surrounded in doubt under Amorim, with the Portuguese having only started him in just one game - away to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup - this season before he was sacked.

Amorim was regularly grilled by the media about the young midfielder's lack of involvement, and Mainoo's own brother Jordan Mainoo-Hames was pictured at Old Trafford wearing a shirt emblazoned with 'Free Kobbie Mainoo' in December.

Carrick played Mainoo on the left of his midfield three in last weekend's 2-0 win against Manchester City, alongside Casemiro and Bruno Fernandes.

United's new head coach has long been effusive in his praise of Mainoo. Speaking to former team–mate Rio Ferdinand last September, Carrick even suggested the club should 'build around' the academy graduate.

'For a club to have a player that's come through the academy and knows it, Man United's got to have an element of that. Always has done, always should do,' Carrick said.

'To have a talent like that, as he's shown already, you've got to have players like that. They get it, they know it, let's build around them. There's definitely a place for him (Mainoo) there for sure.'

Asked by Ferdinand where he would play Mainoo in United's team, Carrick said at the time: 'He's more of an attacker. I don't see him as a holding midfielder. He's that line above where he needs a little bit more freedom.

'He can defend the higher line but I think that bit deeper, around the centre–backs, that's a bit of a different thing completely. I see him playing that little bit higher and creating.

'I think he's got a massive future. I really like him, he just needs that patience and a little bit of a break again.'

Against City, however, Carrick deployed Mainoo in a slightly deeper role. And while he failed to register a key attacking pass from his 32 completed, the midfielder showcased the combative side of his game, recording an impressive 77 pressures as United imposed their game on Pep Guardiola's men.

The development with Mainoo's future comes after Casemiro announced on Thursday afternoon that he will be leaving United at the end of the season.

The 33-year-old Brazilian's contract is due to expire at the end of the current campaign and while there was a club option to trigger a further year, Daily Mail Sport understands that Casemiro personally requested for United to clarify his future to supporters.

United have been preparing for some time for a major midfield overhaul which could see as many as four new faces come the summer, with Nottingham Forest's Elliot Anderson and Brighton's Carlos Baleba their two top targets.

By announcing ahead of this weekend's trip to Arsenal, it is believed that both Casemiro's team and United can get a head start on planning for the future, as well as removing ambiguity and speculation around what comes next.

LA Galaxy are among the clubs who have shown interest in him as well others from MLS, Saudi Arabia and Brazil.

Ahead of the World Cup this summer, several MLS franchises are exploring who is available in Europe, particularly on free transfers, who can continue to raise the league's profile, help the game grow at grassroots level and commercially attract more revenue.