Gary Neville has said that Kobbie Mainoo is the kind of player Pep Guardiola would want in his midfield.
The popular pundit was full of praise for the 18-year-old on Sky Sports’ The Gary Neville Podcast, as he put in a special performance in his first competitive start for Manchester United in their 3-0 win against Everton.
In November, it was reported that the Sky Blues would happily sign the youngster if he was made available by United, even though they are believed not to be actively chasing his signature.
Gary Neville says Pep Guardiola would like a player like Kobbie Mainoo in his midfield
It was claimed in July that some staff members at Manchester United privately reckoned that the teenager was exactly the type of talent that would have left them to sign for Manchester City a couple of years ago.
However, it seems like the Englishman has no intention to leave his boyhood club to sign for Manchester City or any another side for that matter.
Gary Neville admired the mature performance on show from Kobbie Mainoo while claiming that Pep Guardiola would fancy having a midfielder like him at his disposal.
“The biggest compliment I can pay him and it hurts to say this and I think people hopefully will take this in this the right sort of spirit, United fans will take it in the right sort of spirit; he looked like a Manchester City player. You know what I mean?”, he said on Sky Sports’ The Gary Neville Podcast.
“Honestly, I was watching him and I was thinking, that’s a player Pep Guardiola will be looking at and thinking, ‘I want him in my midfield. That’s what my midfielders do.’ Thankfully, Manchester United have got him.”
Pep Guardiola has a similar talent on his hands in Rico Lewis
While Gary Neville is right to emphasise that Kobbie Mainoo looks like the archetypal Pep Guardiola midfielder, Manchester City have their very own gem in the middle of the park in Rico Lewis.
The treble-winner is also a brilliant technician, capable of playing both deeper and in advanced midfield areas.
At right-back, the youngster has managed to make his name, making him an extremely versatile prospect.
As Rico Lewis is handed more responsibility, it seems inevitable that he will become one of Manchester City’s mainstays one day, be it in midfield or in defence.
With that in mind, as talented as Mainoo is, Guardiola would likely just admire his game from afar while being content with having Lewis at his disposal.
