As Ghana’s interest in young Manchester United player Kobbie Mainoo grows, Gareth Southgate is thinking of pushing the teenager through the England ranks more quickly, sources have informed ESPN.
Under Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, the 18-year-old has shown enormous promise as a midfielder. On Sunday, he started his tenth straight game in all competitions as United defeated Aston Villa 2-1 at Villa Park.
Mainoo is qualified to change his allegiance to Ghana, the country of his parents’ birth, despite having played for England at the under-17, under-18, and under-19 levels.
The young player still spends some of his free time in Ghana, where the football association of that nation stated earlier this month that they were eager to persuade Mainoo to play for them internationally.
ESPN has learned from sources that Southgate is eager to see Mainoo advance with England and feels he has a lot of promise.
If Mainoo continues his incredible form for United, Southgate may put him in his senior squad, which will be announced on March 14. However, it is more likely than not that he will bypass the U20s and instead join England’s U21 squad.
One of the main topics of discussion between Southgate and U21s manager Lee Carsley in the coming weeks will be Mainoo’s involvement.
Mainoo will only lose his eligibility for Ghana when he participates in a competitive senior international match, and this year’s schedule has made it more difficult.
However, sources indicate that England is certain that Mainoo wants to play for them and that they want to incorporate him into the system.
Prior to the European Championship in the summer, England will play four friendly matches, starting next month with home games against Belgium and Brazil at Wembley.
One option would be for Southgate to choose Mainoo for Euro 2024, but considering that he has only made 17 first-team appearances, that would be a big decision.
Additionally, Southgate may only designate a 23-man squad, down from the 26-man groups used at the previous World Cup and Euros, which were initially increased because to COVID-19 concerns.
This implies that Mainoo may not be allowed to play competitively until the autumn and that there will be less opportunity for experimentation.
Declan Rice, Jude Bellingham, Jordan Henderson, Kalvin Phillips, and Conor Gallagher are among the midfield players whom Southgate currently prefers.Trent Alexander-Arnold was included in England’s previous squad for their matches against Malta and North Macedonia as a midfield player.
According to an ESPN source, Southgate is also thinking about bringing up goalie Jack Butland, who revived his career at Rangers after leaving Crystal Palace on a free transfer last summer.