Kobbie Mainoo delivers six-word verdict after second Man Utd transfer exit confirmed
It has been a busy summer for Manchester United, with Joshua Zirkzee arriving on a big-money deal while manager Erik ten Hag has already seen two players move on
Manchester United midfielder Kobbie Mainoo has wished Willy Kambwala well after the club confirmed the young defender's move to Villarreal.
Kambwala made his senior debut for United last season in a Premier League defeat to West Ham. He ended the campaign with eight Premier League appearances to his name, as well as two in the FA Cup, but has moved to Spain in a deal worth up to £9.6million.
The former Sochaux youngster is the second player to leave for a fee this summer, following Donny van de Beek's switch to Girona. The Dutch midfielder moved for an initial £500,000 plus add-ons, a significant hit on the £35m United paid Ajax in 2020.
Mainoo knows Kambwala well from their time together in United's academy, where they were team-mates in the UEFA Youth League before the England international became a first-team regular. "Big love bro, all the best," wrote Mainoo underneath Kambwala's Instagram post confirming his departure.
"Dear @manchesterunited, I arrived at the club as a boy with a dream and today I’m leaving like a young man who has fulfilled his dream," Kambwala wrote on social media. "From the academy to the first team, it’s time for me to start a new adventure after 4 wonderful seasons at the club.
"Thank you to all the people I have met during these 4 years. Coaches, my teammates, staff members, workers in Carrington and members of my host family.
"I’ll never forget what you all did for me.A special thank you to you fans who have always supported me, you are the soul of this club. I wish you the best for this season and for the future."
Will Manchester United miss Willy Kambwala this season? Have your say in the comments section
United have inserted a buy-back option into Kambwala's deal, as well as a significant sell-on clause. The 19-year-old joins former Old Trafford star Eric Bailly at his new club, as well as several other former Premier League men including Alexander Sorloth and Juan Foyth.
Mainoo wasn't the other United academy talent to wish the defender well. Joe Hugill, Dan Gore and Maxi Oyedele all shared messages of support, as did Toby Collyer, who recently signed a new contract at Old Trafford.
Ethan Wheatley also shared a message for Kambwala, and the young striker was among those to get minutes for United in their first pre-season match against Rosenborg on Monday. The Norwegian side won 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Noah Holm, and manager Erik ten Hag demanded better from his players after senior stars including Marcus Rashford and Casemiro joined a squad primarily made up of youngsters.
“The result is not secondary," Ten Hag said. "Our performance as a team is by far not good enough. This is not the standard of top football. We are Man Utd, we should perform better”.
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