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

Former Manchester United and England midfielder Owen Hargreaves has said that Kobbie Mainoo has the potential to emerge as the best player in the world.

He said this after Manchester United secured a decisive victory in the Champions League against Sabah on Thursday night.

Returning to Europe’s top competition for the first time since 2023, United achieved a comfortable 4-0 triumph over the tournament newcomers at Old Trafford.

Matheus Cunha opened the scoring after 27 minutes, followed by rapid goals from Bruno Fernandes and Benjamin Sesko, which placed Michael Carrick’s team firmly in control by half-time.

Lisandro Martinez capitalised on a goalkeeping error to score United’s fourth goal in the second half, allowing the Red Devils to enjoy a comfortable victory in front of their supporters.

With a derby match against Manchester City scheduled for Sunday, Carrick made several adjustments to his lineup for the Champions League, yet he retained his preferred midfield pairing of Youri Tielemans and Mainoo.

After experiencing a decline in playing time under Ruben Amorim, Mainoo has re-established himself under Carrick, flourishing in the latter part of last season as the Red Devils climbed back into the top four.

Hargreaves expressed high regard for Mainoo, asserting that the academy product has the capability to become the central figure in United’s midfield and a world-class player in the future.

He told TNT Sports, “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?’

“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.”