Sat 14th and forced to admit that the reality of a relegation battle is no longer a world away, Ruben Amorim is reportedly demanding that Sir Jim Ratcliffe welcomes a reinforcement worth £80m for Manchester United this month.
Man Utd transfer news
Creating history that no one wants to be remembered for by losing five of his first eight league games in charge of Manchester United, the difficulty of the task at hand has never been more apparent for Amorim at Old Trafford. A third consecutive Premier League defeat looked inevitable from minute one against Newcastle United last time out, as does the departure of Marcus Rashford, who was back on the Manchester United bench but unused against the Magpies.
Just seven points clear of the dropzone following Ipswich Town’s victory over Chelsea last time out, Manchester United’s trip to Anfield this weekend couldn’t have been poorer timed as they look to avoid dropping closer and closer to disastrous circumstances.
In such a position, those at Old Trafford must find a way to welcome reinforcements even if they’ve previously seemed reluctant to do so this month, with Amorim desperate for fresh faces.
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Ruben Amorim has made up his mind on one of United’s top earners.
So much so that, according to The Daily Star, Amorim is now demanding Ratcliffe to sign Viktor Gyokeres this month, telling the Manchester United co-owner that he cannot wait for the summer transfer window and he needs a reunion with the Sporting Club star now.
It’s not always as simple as that, however. Gyokeres’ hefty £80m release clause means that, no matter how much Amorim demands his signature, the Swede may well be out of reach for Manchester United right now.
Likely left stranded with a striker who fans ironically cheered off the pitch in the first-half against Newcastle United – Joshua Zirkzee – and Rasmus Hojlund, who is yet to show more than glimpses of his potential, Amorim must simply survive the season.
Man Utd must back Amorim with “Rolls-Royce” Gyokeres
With the fear of a relegation battle growing more and more of a reality, United may be left with no choice but to spend their way out of trouble. It’s clear that the squad Amorim inherited is far from one built for success in his 3-4-2-1 system, but the Red Devils knew what their new manager required when they hired him and must now back their man in the transfer market.
Dubbed a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Zach Lowy, Gyokeres would drag Manchester United out of the embarrassment of a relegation battle and onwards at least, but INEOS must first reach his valuation.
A player who starred under Amorim at Sporting, scoring a hat-trick against Manchester City in a Champions League thrashing of the Citizens and hitting 27 goals in 27 games this season, Gyokeres is a must-buy for United in 2025. Whether Ratcliffe will listen to Amorim’s demands remains to be seen, however.