A ‘significant U-turn’ suggests Manchester United already regret a £100m transfer decision, which has exposed ‘furious’ Ruben Amorim…
Ruben Amorim remains under fire at Man Utd and there are signs that the pressure is getting the better of him as the inexperienced head coach is running out of allies.
A supposed transformative summer transfer window does not appear to have made much, if any, difference. There are the same problems at Man Utd, who are just as toothless in attack and easy to play through despite investing £230m on signings and ridding themselves of some deadwood.
Amorim’s bullish insistence on sticking with his failing 3-4-3 formation continues to limit Man Utd, with his refusal to adapt, a la Ange Postecoglou, likely to be a key factor in his eventual downfall, which could be sooner than most expected.
There is yet to be evidence of a Man Utd player performing better in Amorim’s formation than previous set-ups, with Kobbie Mainoo among the most high-profile victims of the head coach’s appointment.
Mainoo has gone from legitimately being one of the best prospects in the world to a benchwarmer for a very poor Man Utd side, with Amorim a main contributor to the Premier League giants not seeing the best of the England international for many months.
Man Utd supporters were glad that common sense prevailed in the final week of the transfer window as Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Co. swiftly shut down Mainoo’s hopes of leaving on loan to secure regular game time ahead of next year’s World Cup, with his positive standing highlighted in a GiveMeSport article on the club’s midfield situation.
MORE MAN UTD COVERAGE ON F365…
👉 Man Utd ‘agreed’ to sign £55m Tottenham target in the summer but transfer collapsed for two reasons
👉 Barcelona to ‘send Rashford home’ on one condition; ‘payment’ to ‘break Man Utd agreement’ revealed
👉 Man Utd eye ‘unexpected’ January signing as Kane is tipped for Red Devils transfer in 2026
The report claims ‘United have made a significant U-turn as internal discussions with Mainoo have resulted in him being increasingly confident that he can become a key part of Amorim’s plans’, while ‘there have been indications that they would be more keen to sell Bruno Fernandes’.
Within a day of this revelation, a contrary report from Football Transfers claimed that Amorim was ‘left furious’ that Man Utd’s clear verdict on Mainoo prevented a late-window move for Atletico Madrid star Conor Gallagher.
Would Gallagher have been a solid addition as a last resort? Yes, probably. But Amorim’s stance, both reported and public, does expose his carelessness regarding a Man Utd player with a higher ceiling than most in their current squad, who should be among the head coach’s main priorities.
Amorim should be doing all he can to make Mainoo a vital component in his team, and it says a lot about the head coach’s position that club chiefs appear to have given Mainoo such a level of internal backing.
Integrating Mainoo would be made easier had they cashed in on Fernandes when £100m from the Saudi Pro League was on the table in the summer, with Man Utd’s ‘willingness to sell’ (as per GiveMeSport) suggesting they already regret doing what they could to retain their club captain’s services instead of ushering him to the exit door.
There’s no doubting Fernandes’ quality and he was easily Man Utd’s best player last season, but his early-season struggles from a deeper position has made it clear that the club’s decision not to maximise his value and use the profit to make the game-changing signing of a top-tier No.6 (E.g. Carlos Baleba) was a huge mistake that will hold them back for at least another year.
READ NEXT: If Mainoo ‘doesn’t like’ Amorim who can blame him? Man Utd boss is clearly ‘the problem’
