'/%3e%3cdefs%3e%3clinearGradient%20id='prefix__paint0_linear_4737_37157'%20x1='3.018'%20y1='23.6'%20x2='44.925'%20y2='24.977'%20gradientUnits='userSpaceOnUse'%3e%3cstop%20stop-color='%231CB7FF'/%3e%3cstop%20offset='.502'%20stop-color='%232FF58B'/%3e%3c/linearGradient%3e%3c/defs%3e%3c/svg%3e)
Kobbie Mainoo and Youri Tielemans proving doubters wrong with impressive stats in Premier League
Oct 05 2026 09:47 · By onefootball.com · 6 Reads
Manchester United carried out significant work on their midfield during the summer transfer window.
Summer of change
The departure of Casemiro to Inter Miami and the long-term injury to Manuel Ugarte meant that the Red Devils were very light in midfield.
As a response, Brazilian midfielder Andrey Santos was brought in from Chelsea.
Just a few days later in July, Youri Tielemans was surprisingly signed from Aston Villa.
Finally, United completed a deal for Carlos Baleba from Brighton & Hove Albion, with the Cameroonian on the cusp of making his United debut after the international break.
Kobbie Mainoo and Tielemans partnership
In spite of new signings Santos and Tielemans starting the campaign against Hull City, Michael Carrick’s preferred midfield combination this season has been a pivot of Kobbie Mainoo and Tielemans.
The club’s official website has highlighted some of the numbers behind this partnership to back up Carrick’s choice.
The site explains, “of all those who have played over 250 minutes in the Premier League, nobody has won possession more per 90 minutes than Kobbie. In fact, his rate of 10.1 is strides ahead of his closest competitors, with Lewis Hall (Newcastle), Exequiel Palacios (Ipswich), Alex Scott and Tyler Adams (both Bournemouth) all between 7.0 and 7.6.”
Mainoo is also ranked fifth in the league for progressive carries.
Tielemans is also performing well statistically in comparison to the rest of the league.
The Belgian “is in the top five for line-breaking passes and passes in the final third, providing a clear route from back to front.”
Mainoo’s fitness will be a topic of concern following his withdrawal from the England squad last month. Also, with new signing Carlos Baleba perhaps making his first start after recovering from injury, it will certainly be interesting to see what Carrick comes up with as a midfield partnership after the international break.
Featured image by Julian Finney via Getty Images