The 18-year-old centre-back has not featured in first-team pre-season training this summer, and his omission from a list of nine academy players handed first-year professional terms on Wednesday has left his situation at Old Trafford unresolved.
Albert Mills, Louie Bradbury, Jacob Watson, Neithan Barbosa, Charlie Hardy, Cameron Byrne-Hughes, Jayden Ngwashi, Nathaniel-Junior Brown and Rafe McCormack all signed new deals as part of the announcement, but well-placed sources say Manchester United are working on Kukonki's case separately rather than ruling out an extension altogether, reports The Sun.
The lack of confirmation is notable given Kukonki's standing within the academy last season, when he featured more prominently for the Under-18s than all but a handful of those named on Wednesday's list. He also earned senior recognition under previous manager Ruben Amorim, who named him among the substitutes on seven occasions and handed him a first taste of first-team football in a 2-1 defeat at Newcastle last year.
United had already offered Kukonki a contract extension in March 2025, and the England Under-17 international is now entering what would be a third-year scholarship agreement, a slightly different timeline from most of his academy peers that may explain the delay rather than signal an exit.
Kukonki has instead trained with the Under-21s over the summer, though he was left out of their 1-0 defeat at Altrincham Town on 31 July. At 6ft 5in, he spent much of last season being used at left-back to build his versatility and ball-carrying ability, despite being primarily a centre-back by trade. He is one of the last remaining players from United's 2024 academy intake and turns 19 next February.
Michael Carrick, meanwhile, has been impressed by a different centre-back this pre-season.
Under-18 captain Dan Armer travelled with the first-team squad for last weekend's friendly against Paris Saint-Germain and is understood to be closing in on his own professional deal, having been an unused substitute as Harry Maguire played the full 90 minutes in a 1-1 draw ahead of the season opener against Hull City.
United are also hopeful of tying down 17-year-old Noah Ajayi, who has attracted interest from clubs in Germany, while full-back Yuel Helafu was another notable absentee from Wednesday's list, though he signed his scholarship terms a year later than Kukonki and remains a year younger.