Nigerian singer and songwriter Burna Boy has identified Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo as one of the standout young talents in football today, ranking him second only to Barcelona's Lamine Yamal. The 19-year-old Yamal recently made history by becoming the youngest player to win the European Championship and the FIFA World Cup, as Spain defeated Argentina 1-0 in an extra-time final held in New Jersey. This victory marked a historic double for Luis de la Fuente’s squad, who became the first team to secure both the European title and the World Cup twice, having previously achieved the feat in 2010.
While Mainoo was included in England's 26-man squad for the quadrennial tournament, he did not see any match time. The United youngster was ultimately sidelined by an injury that kept him out of the 6-4 third-place play-off victory against France in Miami. Goalkeeper James Trafford was the only other member of the England squad to miss out on playing time during the event. Despite this, Burna Boy expressed strong confidence in the midfielder's abilities, stating, "Best young player right now? Lamine Yamal, but just cause of Man United, I will throw in Kobbie Mainoo. Best club? Manchester United. Best United player? Kobbie Mainoo."
Both Manchester United and Barcelona are currently navigating their pre-season schedules. United opened their campaign with a 1-0 loss to Wrexham in Helsinki on July 18, followed by a 5-0 victory over Rosenborg in Trondheim where Shea Lacey and four other teammates scored. The Red Devils are set to face Atletico Madrid in Stockholm on August 1, followed by fixtures against PSG in Gothenburg on August 8, Leeds in Dublin on August 12, and a finale against AC Milan in Wroclaw. Meanwhile, Barcelona recently defeated CE Europa 4-1 in a closed-doors match on July 24. The Spanish club is scheduled to play Birmingham City this Saturday, though Yamal will not feature as he has yet to return to training following his extensive participation in the World Cup. Barcelona's further preparations include a closed-doors friendly against Preston North End on August 3 and the Joan Gamper Trophy match against Al-Ahly on August 19.
He said (as per ESPN via Utd Truthful):"Best young player right now?
