Kobbie Mainoo faces Jude Bellingham with Manchester United planning very different path for him
Many of Kobbie Mainoo's peers will be playing Wrexham this week, but the much-talked-about Manchester United prospect has Real Madrid in his sights.
The talented teenager has cemented his place at the front of the Old Trafford Academy queue this summer and as such will be part of the senior squad to face the Spanish giants, rather than the youthful side taking on Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's Red Dragons.
It means Mainoo could come up against England star Jude Bellingham, now at Madrid following his summer move to Spain from Borussia Dortmund. The battle could be an intriguing one and will certainly offer a gauge as to Mainoo's development but, amid raised expectations after a successful summer so far, the United prospect cannot be expected to hit the ground running against some of the world's best.
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It will be the same when the Premier League season gets underway next month. Mainoo merits first-team involvement and could be set for a breakthrough campaign a la Alejandro Garnacho. But the Argentina winger only started five league games last season and Mainoo's trajectory could be similar.
While he is at a club that embodies the 'if you are good enough you are old enough' adage we should proceed with caution. The midfielder only turned 18 in April and has just three senior appearances to his name.
At the same age, Bellingham had eight England caps, major international tournament experience and was a regular with Borussia Dortmund, playing and shining in the Champions League. The former
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