Ruben Amorim stance: Zirkzee and Mainoo deemed untouchable as 2026 World Cup looms

Ruben Amorim is understood to consider Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo central to any long-term project, with a clear preference for keeping both at Manchester United. Neither player is agitating for a move; their focus is securing roles at the 2026 World Cup. Inside the club, the mood is calm: Zirkzee’s profile fits the attack’s evolution, while Mainoo remains the heartbeat of midfield. Senior figures are aligned on continuity rather than sales. From a player’s perspective, form plus minutes—not transfers—will decide international futures, and that is exactly the path both seem committed to right now.

The conversation arises from recent insider briefings and discussions around Manchester United’s squad planning, highlighting how key figures view Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo within the club’s medium-term strategy. The context also intersects with wider international ambitions, as both players target meaningful roles at the 2026 World Cup. Alongside this, separate chatter around Mason Greenwood’s rise at Marseille and Casemiro’s commitment to Manchester underlines the broader stability narrative around United’s core assets.

🚨 JUST IN: Ruben Amorim considers all players including Zirkzee and Mainoo crucial for his project and doesn't want them to leave the club. They are not complaining now but are showing a desire to go to the World Cup in 2026. [@FabrizioRomano YT]

@UtdXclusive

Impact Analysis

From a squad-building lens, designating Joshua Zirkzee and Kobbie Mainoo as untouchable sends a decisive message to the market and the dressing room. Zirkzee’s blend of back-to-goal play, link-up quality, and press resistance gives United a reference point up front that reduces their overreliance on transitional chaos. Mainoo, meanwhile, is the tempo-setter: secure under pressure, progressive in his passing lanes, and already carrying senior responsibility beyond his years. Ring-fencing those profiles protects tactical identity through multiple windows.

Commercially and competitively, retaining cornerstone talents stabilizes valuation and removes the fire-sale narrative that can swirl when a club rebuilds. For the players, staying put ahead of a World Cup cycle is rational: guaranteed development minutes in a familiar structure trump the risk of sideways moves. International selectors reward consistency, not noise. The club, for its part, is better served investing in complementary roles—minutes for a rotational 9, a ball-winning 6 next to Mainoo, and continuity at center-back—than pursuing headline exits.

There’s also leadership optics. When a coach admired for methodology signals continuity, it reassures emerging talents across the pathway. United’s academy and recruitment can plan around Mainoo as the central pivot and Zirkzee as the fulcrum of the front line. In short, keeping both is as much about footballing coherence as it is about transfer posture.

Reaction

Fan discourse splits along familiar lines. Some supporters argue that merely playing regularly won’t guarantee Zirkzee a World Cup ticket, pointing to cautionary tales like Matthijs de Ligt’s fluctuating national-team status. Others counter that if the system suits him, end product will follow and selection takes care of itself. A critical strand insists that a different profile—citing Matheus Cunha—offers more dynamism, pushing the idea that United should cash in while interest is high. That view is very much a minority, but it’s loud.

There’s a pragmatic chorus noting that every player wants a World Cup and that the smartest path is consistency rather than agitation. Another pocket of fans warns that no coach can placate truly disgruntled players for long, hinting at the need for ironclad communication and clear roles. The Greenwood debate bubbles in the background: his resurgence at Marseille has some United fans eyeing the sell-on upside, while others see it as proof that development arcs differ and patience with young talents like Mainoo is wise.

Amid all this, reassurance lands via talk of Casemiro’s continued commitment, which many view as valuable mentorship for Mainoo. The official club tone—focused on the next match and unity—keeps the mood steady. Overall, sentiment skews supportive of keeping both Zirkzee and Mainoo, with the dissenters centered on stylistic preferences rather than a push for exits.

Social reactions

Cunha is 10x better at doing what Zirkzee does and ee have far better midfielders coming through the academy than Mainoo Sell them both

. (@Nucleon7_)

They should also show workings whenever they get chance to play

Bobby (@OmosegbonIsaac)

Zirkzee playing regularly won't guarantee him a place in the squad. Just ask de ligt

oldtraffordfc (@old_trafford_11)

Prediction

Expect United to double down on stability: performance incentives, appearance-based triggers, and incremental wage structures that reward growth without distorting the pay scale. In practical terms, Zirkzee will continue to anchor the first phase of attacks, acting as a wall-pass and zone-14 connector, with wingers and an advancing 8 feeding off his lay-offs. Mainoo’s role should remain hybrid—conducting buildup as a 6 out of possession while stepping into an 8 lane to break lines when United compress the pitch.

Transfer-wise, suitors will test resolve, but the club’s message will be uniform: “Not for sale.” Any incoming business prioritizes a complementary forward (to hedge minutes and profiles) and depth at the base of midfield to protect Mainoo from overload. Internationally, both players will ride form into national-team camps; the World Cup conversation will intensify next season, but continuity at club level gives them the best runway.

If Amorim’s ideas continue to be associated with the project, expect tactical refinements rather than upheaval—more structured pressing, cleaner rest-defense, and sharper occupation of half-spaces to unlock Zirkzee’s best work. The most likely scenario: both stay, grow into leadership roles, and arrive at 2026 in peak rhythm.

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Conclusion

From the vantage point of a retired pro, this is the right call. Untouchable tags aren’t PR fluff when they align with logic on the grass. Zirkzee provides connective tissue United have lacked; Mainoo gives them a modern engine in midfield. Keeping both is less about resisting bids and more about building a coherent spine that survives injuries, dips in form, and the churn of transfer cycles.

There will be noise—there always is when a World Cup looms and when young players surge. But the mature route is continuity backed by clever rotation and targeted recruitment. The fanbase appears to understand that, judging by the majority reaction: nurture what works, debate the details later. Anchor your identity now, and the international rewards follow.

In short, ring-fence your pillars, sharpen the supporting cast, and let performance make the arguments. If United stick to that script, Zirkzee and Mainoo won’t just be part of the project—they’ll be the standard-bearers for it into 2026.