EPL: Owen Hargreaves backs Kobbie Mainoo to become world’s best player

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves has expressed his belief that Kobbie Mainoo has the potential to become the best player in the world. Hargreaves made this statement following Manchester United's 4-0 victory over Sabah in the Champions League at Old Trafford. This marked United's first appearance in Europe's top competition since 2023.

Matheus Cunha put United ahead in the 27th minute, followed by goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko, which solidified the team's lead by halftime. Lisandro Martinez added a fourth goal in the second half, capitalizing on a goalkeeping mistake, to give United a comfortable win in front of their home crowd.

Despite making several lineup changes for the Champions League, manager Michael Carrick maintained his preferred midfield combination of Youri Tielemans and Mainoo. Mainoo, who had seen a decrease in playing time under Ruben Amorim, has since rebounded under Carrick's guidance. Hargreaves praised Mainoo, stating that he has never witnessed poor performance from the young player.

Hargreaves remarked, "I've never seen Kobbie play bad [football]. Every time I watch him play football, I think, 'How can somebody not play this young man?'" He emphasized Mainoo's potential, saying, "I just think he's a fabulous football player. Academy-grown, didn't cost a club a pound, and when you think about some of the fees that these players are going for.

'What would Kobbie be worth? It's worth more than them all. No disrespect to any of them, but I just love his game. I think Kobbie can kind of do everything in there. He's a star. I think he's gonna be a superstar."