'Forget Jude Bellingham' - Manchester United fans rave about academy star Kobbie Mainoo

Manchester United fans have not had a lot to celebrate this season with the first team failing to live up to the high expectations set back in August. It seems even the minimum expectations won't be reached with the club crashing out of every cup competition and unlikely to reach the top four.

That being said, some fans have taken solace in the fact that at least United's future looks bright. Erik ten Hag appears to be on the verge of being appointed as the club's next permanent manager, and there's real hope he will be able to transform United's fortunes.

But another thing that the fans have had to celebrate is the emergence of a number of top talents in the academy. Alvaro Fernandez, Charlie McNeill, Daniel Gore and Alejandro Garnacho have all been praised for the talent they have shown with United's various development squads.

READ MORE: Manchester United to wait for Erik ten Hag on transfer targets

But the one player to have really caught the eye is Kobbie Mainoo. The 16-year-old has been playing ahead of his years in the Under-18s and has been a standout performer.

The all-action midfielder is known for his exceptional sweeping tackles and his ability to create from deep. Many United fans are hoping that Mainoo will continue his upwards trajectory and eventually break into the first team under Ten Hag, maybe as the team's long-term replacement for Paul Pogba. This is just a selection of the comments regarding the youngster on Twitter:

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