Kobbie Mainoo admits he would take Alejandro Garnacho’s ‘crazy’ pace if he could snatch one attribute from his Manchester United team-mate and fellow Premier League wonderkid.
If there is maybe one thing Kobbie Mainoo is lacking – the 18-year-old already a midfielder with a skill set broader than Shaun Ryder’s accent – it’s speed.
Ok, he’s certainly not slow. Far from it. But, by Mainoo’s own admission, he would love to possess the searing pace fellow Manchester United starlet Alejandro Garnacho uses to strike fear into the heart of full-backs up and down the land.
The future is bright at Manchester United
“I’d probably say his speed,” Mainoo tells Sky Sports when asked which of Garnacho’s attributes he’d like to add to his own armoury. “He’s got the pace to beat players. Good acceleration.
“I’m in centre-mid so I don’t have to be too close to him (in training)! But you see him beat players in training and in games, it’s crazy to see the speed.”
Garnacho, when the same question was put to him, admits to being a little envious of Mainoo’s power. No wonder the former is looking to learn a thing or two from the latter behind the scenes at Carrington.
“Me, probably the strength,” Garnacho smiles. “We are training now together in the gym!”
The teenage duo have been two of the first names on Manchester United’s team sheet since the turn of the year, and it would be a major surprise if Erik ten Hag dropped either player for Sunday’s derby clash with Man City at the Etihad.
Mainoo and Garnacho key in Manchester derby
Mainoo’s remarkable composure and his supreme passing range could certainly come in very handy on an afternoon in which possession is likely to be at a premium. Garnacho, meanwhile, assisted Marcus Rashford’s dramatic late winner 14 months ago, and his famous acceleration may be key for a United side who could be restricted to counter-attacks.
“Kobbie Mainoo has impressed me so much,” Gary Lineker told a Reddit Q&A recently, tipping the Man United graduate for a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
“I mean, he’s so young. To do what he’s doing is quite remarkable at a club like Manchester United…”
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