Ruben Amorim is only a matter of days into his time as Manchester United manager but already the transfer talk has begun.
Amorim officially took charge of United on November 11 and is yet to take charge of his first match due to the international break. He has been hard at work on the training pitches at Carrington, drilling his new players on the intricacies of playing his favoured 3-4-3 formation – and it is that tactical approach could inform United’s moves in the upcoming transfer windows.
United have been used to playing in a 4-2-3-1 shape under Erik ten Hag, but won’t have long to adapt. The January transfer window is a notoriously difficult time to do business, with clubs reluctant to sell and bargains hard to find, yet with United languishing in 13th place and in danger of missing out on the Champions League for succession seasons, they might be forced to take action.
United have the highest net spend of any football club in the world over the past 10 years (£1.08billion) and are determined to move away from their old ways after shelling out £600m under Ten Hag. Nevertheless, the change of head coach has signalled a new era, and the fresh approach could spark a turnover of players.
There is one area that appears to be a priority for Amorim to address. Victor Lindelof and Jonny Evans are out of contract at the end of the season, while Harry Maguire could also leave unless United opt to trigger the extra year in his contract. United signed Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt in the summer at great expense, but are reportedly still keen on Everton starJarrad Branthwaite.
United saw bids worth £43m and £50m rejected for Branthwaite before landing Yoro but reportedly haven’t been put off going back in for the 22-year-old. Everton value the towering centre-back at around £70m – a fee United baulked at in the summer – so it remains to be seen whether anything comes of it. Sporting defender Ousmane Diomande is a cheaper alternative.
HAVE YOUR SAY! Who would you like Manchester United to sign? Comment below.
Amorim is also reportedly keen to address his team’s long-term problem position of left-back, even though Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are now back in training. Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies is out of contract in the summer and looks ready to leave Germany, although United face competition from Real Madrid.
Perhaps the biggest problem for United in recent years has been at the other end of the pitch, though. They have scored just 12 goals in 11 Premier League games this season and the most obvious solution for Amorim is Viktor Gyokeres, a player he knows extremely well from his time at Sporting.
The Swedish striker has proved himself to be a goal machine in Portugal, netting a staggering 66 goals in 68 games for the club. United have sent scouts to Lisbon to watch him, but a £85m release clause makes any deal difficult, as Amorim has already stated: "Gyokeres costs €100m. It's very complicated. I will not take any of Sporting's players in January. But that's another story."
A more attainable target from Sporting may be Geovany Quenda, who is valued at £33.5m by his club. The talented attacker doesn’t turn 18 until May, but has a strong connection with Amorim and could be tempted to make the jump.
Meanwhile, there have been reports in France that United are keeping an eye on Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani as a potential signing to add to Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee up front amid their struggles for goals. Le10Sport says United have offered to take Kolo Muani on loan initially. The 25-year-old has only started two Ligue 1 matches this season so could be tempted to move in pursuit of more regular game time.
Join our new WhatsApp communityand receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Sky has slashed the price of its Sky Sports, Sky Stream, Sky TV and Netflix bundle in an unbeatable new deal that saves £240 and includes 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more.