Ruben Amorim has only been in charge of Manchester United for a matter of days, but transfer talks have already begun.
Amorim officially took charge of United on November 11 and is yet to take charge of his first game due to the international break. He has been working hard on the training pitches at Carrington, teaching his new players the ins and outs of playing in his favored 3-4-3 formation – and it is that tactical approach that could influence United's actions in the coming transfer windows .
United are used to playing in a 4-2-3-1 shape under Erik ten Hag, but will not have to adapt for long. The January transfer window is a notoriously difficult time to do business, with clubs reluctant to sell and bargains hard to come by, but with United languishing in 13th place and in danger of missing out on the Champions League in subsequent seasons, they may be forced to take action.
United have the highest net spend of any football club in the world over the past decade (£1.08 billion) and are determined to ditch their old ways after spending £600 million under Ten Hag. Nevertheless, the change of head coach heralds a new era, and the fresh approach could lead to a player change.
There is one area that seems 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 choose to activate the extra year in his contract. United signed Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt at a high cost this summer but are reportedly still interested in Everton star Jarrad Branthwaite.
United saw bids worth £43million and £50million rejected for Branthwaite before signing Yoro, but they are reportedly not deterred from returning for the 22-year-old. Everton value the towering centre-back at around £70million – a fee United were dreading in the summer – so it remains to be seen whether anything comes of it. Sporty defender Ousmane Diomande is a cheaper alternative.
Amorim is also reportedly keen to address his team's long-standing problem at left-back, even though Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are now back in training. Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies is out of contract this summer and looks set to leave Germany, even if United face competition from Real Madrid.
But perhaps the biggest problem for United in recent years has been at the other end of the pitch. 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 forward has proven to be a goalscoring machine in Portugal, scoring an impressive 66 goals in 68 appearances for the club. United have sent scouts to Lisbon to keep an eye on him, but an £85m release clause makes any deal difficult, as Amorim has already stated: “Gyokeres costs €100m. It's very complicated. I won't take any players in January from Sporting about it.
A more feasible target for Sporting could be Geovany Quenda, who is valued by his club at £33.5m. The talented forward doesn't turn 18 until May, but has a strong bond with Amorim and could be tempted to make the leap.
Meanwhile, there are reports in France that United are monitoring Paris Saint-Germain striker Randal Kolo Muani as a potential signing to strengthen Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee up front in their battle for goals. Le10Sport say United have offered to loan Kolo Muani initially. The 25-year-old has only played two games in Ligue 1 this season, so he could be tempted to move and pursue more regular playing time.
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