"I think Manchester United have found their own Jude Bellingham"

Manchester United fans must still be wondering how they missed out on Jude Bellingham after he was given a tour of Carrington four years ago.

The then-Birmingham City starlet was given a guided tour of the club’s training complex but turned down the move in favour of Borussia Dortmund and the clearer pathway to the first-team it offered.

It is safe to say his decision paid off. Now at Real Madrid, he is already a star in Spain, and has established himself as one of the leading players of his generation and a leading contender to win the Ballon d’Or.

United fans have every right to feel aggrieved after their failed pursuit, but former forward Louis Saha believes they have already their own Bellingham on their hands. Kobbie Mainoo has a lot of work to do if he is to ever reach the heights Bellingham has, yet Saha thinks that he has a lot of the key characteristics required to do just that.

"Kobbie Mainoo can be Manchester United's Jude Bellingham!” he told Sportskeeda. “He's got the skills, the composure. He's one of those players who has grown quicker than normal and he's showing real maturity at 18, especially considering he's playing in an unstable squad.

"Manchester United's form is all over the place and we saw it against Chelsea and against Liverpool. Having a player like Mainoo who can surprise the opposition with his calmness and out of nowhere, he's able to produce some magic, so he has no ceiling.

"When you look at Jude Bellingham, he's a monster physically. I'm not saying that Kobbie isn't a beast physically, but in terms of height, speed and technical ability, where he matches him, this is where Bellingham is already ahead. They have different styles because physically, Jude is a monster... he's just a freak."