Manchester United have an easy transfer decision to make after Kobbie Mainoo emergence

Erik ten Hag has labelled the return of some of his injured first-teamers like having "new signings" in January, but his best new addition this season has spent the last month making the central midfield role his own.

Kobbie Mainoo had played 87 minutes of football for Manchester United before this season began and then suffered an ankle injury in pre-season just at the point he was beginning to force his way into Ten Hag's plans.

But the impact the teenager made in the summer hadn't been forgotten. He has been back in the frame since his return and has now started five successive games for the club in all competitions, a run that will keep extending, starting with a demanding fixture against a lively Spurs side at Old Trafford on Sunday.

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Mainoo has started seven games now for United this season and six of them have been away, including at Goodison, St James' Park, Anfield and the London Stadium. This isn't a teenager being eased in or protected by Ten Hag. You can see why.

The 18-year-old was United's best player at Wigan on Monday after a shaky start and his half-time withdrawal at Nottingham Forest in the final game of 2023 was the catalyst for the team losing the run of the game. Right now, Mainoo is most likely to bring some control to the chaos that United have pursued this season.

You could say the spate of injuries United have suffered in midfield has aided Mainoo's opportunities, but it's worth remembering he started in a strong team against Real Madrid in Houston in pre-season, which was the game in which he suffered his injury.

The true test of where he stands in the current