Manchester United's defeat at home to Bournemouth underlined the need for change at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim still has to get to grips with the players, who have to adapt to his unique philosophy, in which the team plays with three back players. They continued to struggle defensively, but there may not be a quick fix.
United have invested heavily this summer and there is a lack of money for Amorim, meaning he may have to work with what he has now. There is likely a new striker on his wish list, looking to turn into the new man in the dugout in their scouting operation.
Here's the latest news from Manchester.
Amorim's scouting plan to find the next Ronaldo
Amorim wants United to build a brand new scouting team in Portugal. The new manager believes the club's network in his home country has declined since Cristiano Ronaldo arrived at the club 21 years ago – and wants a restart.
Ronaldo was signed from Sporting as a teenager in 2003 and became a goalscoring legend at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson before moving to Real Madrid. Nani is another successful Portuguese recruit, but Amorim is concerned that the top young talent in his home country has been missed by United in recent years.
Only Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, signed in 2020 and 2018 respectively, have had a significant impact at United in recent years and young stars from Portugal have gone to other leading teams in recent years.
Bernardo Silva and Ruben Dias have been crucial in the success of rivals Manchester City. Chelsea's Pedro Neto is cited as another good example.
Rashford rattles in the dressing room
Rashford has left the club's dressing room in frustration after revealing he wants to leave the club. The homegrown star has been left out of Amorim's last two squads and the player's eye-catching statement emerged in the aftermath of United's derby victory over Manchester City.
It was already suggested that the Red Devils were open to a move for the 27-year-old, possibly in January. Now the Englishman himself appears to be furthering that agenda by publicly suggesting he is keen to try something new.
“For me personally, I think I'm ready for a new challenge and the next steps,” said Rashford. “If I leave, there won't be any hard feelings. You won't get any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That's me as a person.”
Rashford's public statement did not go down well in the dressing room, according to the Sun. Some of the squad are said to have been upset by the comments, which served as a distraction after their victory over Pep Guardiola's team.
Osimhen on the radar
According to El Nacional, in his quest for more firepower, Amorim has requested the signing of Victor Osimhen next month. The Nigerian striker is currently on loan to Galatasaray after it became clear he had no future at Chelsea.
The forward has been productive everywhere he has been and is happy in Turkey. He recently said: “I'm here on loan, but there is a great friendship. It feels like I've been in Istanbul for ten years.”
However, Osimhen is said to have included a clause in his loan deal that could see him move elsewhere. He will be a much cheaper alternative to Viktor Gyokeres, who will likely have a number of clubs clamoring for his signature.
Comments