Ruben Amorim could be set to overhaul the Manchester United squad he inherited from Erik ten Hag. Despite being handed a contract extension in the summer, Ten Hag was shown the door by the board in late October after a disappointing start to the 2024/25 Premier League season – managing only three victories in nine matches.
INEOS swiftly appointed Amorim from Sporting CP in an attempt to reverse the club’s fortunes at Old Trafford. However, the 40-year-old has struggled to make significant headway with the team he took over from his Dutch predecessor. The Red Devils currently languish in 13th place in the league table with just nine games remaining, and are on track for their worst-ever finish in the English top flight.
With doubts surfacing about the current squad’s suitability for Amorim’s style of play, the Portuguese manager may be planning to offload several players that Ten Hag brought to the north west. According to the Manchester Evening News, United are keen to permanently sever ties with Antony and Jadon Sancho, who are currently enjoying loan spells at Real Betis and Chelsea respectively.
Chelsea are contractually obliged to purchase Sancho for a sum between £20million and £25m, but could face a penalty if they fail to make the loan deal permanent. United may also encounter issues with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR), as these rules impose valuations on non-academy players based on their transfer spread fee and contract length, reports the Mirror.
This would value Sancho at £14.8m if he remains with United, while Antony would cost £32.5m. In addition, United’s 2022 acquisition of Casemiro for £60m on a four-year contract means they would need to sell him for at least £15m to avoid registering a loss under PSR – despite the midfielder recently turning 33.
In other news, the future of Altay Bayindir, who was signed by Ten Hag from Fenerbahce for £4.3m in September 2023, is uncertain, with Amorim expressing his desire to bring in a new goalkeeper. The club may also bid farewell to Tyrell Malacia, who joined United from Feyenoord in 2022 for a reported £13m.
This is due to his current loan club, PSV Eindhoven, having an option to sign the left-back at the end of his loan period. However, it’s not just transfers that will thin out the United squad this summer, with veterans Tom Heaton and Jonny Evans likely to retire at the end of the season, and Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof set for release.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe, co-owner of Manchester United, has made it clear that the club “won’t be selling players because of the state we are in financially”, setting nerves on edge for fans anxious about the fate of rising talents like Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho. Despite impressive performances from both youngsters, Mainoo is still pending renewal but remains tied to Old Trafford until 2028, whereas Garnacho was the subject of a rejected £40m bid from Napoli in the January window.
United’s current hierarchy haven’t escaped widespread criticism from pundits who doubt whether the team can effectively implement Amorim’s preferred 3-4-2-1 tactical approach. This season’s unimpressive record of only 37 goals scored against 40 conceded has laid bare the squad’s deficiencies.
Nevertheless, Amorim looks set to reinforce the lineup, and he may not need to look far as there seems to be untapped potential within; Mason Mount, despite being limited to 33 appearances out of a possible 98 for the club, might be more involved going forward with speculation rife that he’s well-suited to Amorim’s strategy. The next hurdle for United is an away match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground next Tuesday.
Ten Hag’s United signings still at the club: Antony, Rasmus Hojlund, Casemiro, Mason Mount, Leny Yoro, Lisandro Martinez, Tyrell Malacia, Christian Eriksen, Jonny Evans, Andre Onana, Altay Bayindir, Joshua Zirkzee, Noussair Mazraoui, Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte
Content Source: www.express.co.uk