Manchester United’s recruitment over the years has left a lot to be desired and Ruben Amorim wants the club to seek talent from Portugal, having missed several gems in recent years
Manchester United’s defeat at home to Bournemouth underlined the need for change at Old Trafford.
Ruben Amorim is still getting to grips with the players, who themselves are having to adapt to his unique philosophy, which sees the team playing with a back three. Defensively they continued to struggle but there may not be any quick fix.
United invested heavily in the summer and there are a lack of funds available for Amorim, which means he may have to work with what he’s got for now. A new striker is likely to be on his wishlist which the new man in the dugout wanting to make changes to their scouting operation.
Here’s the latest from Manchester.
Amorim’s scouting plan to find next Ronaldo
Amorim wants United to build a brand-new scouting team in Portugal. The new manager believes the club’s network in his homeland has dropped off since it brought Cristiano Ronaldo to the club 21 years ago – and wants a reboot.
Ronaldo was signed from Sporting as a teenager in 2003 and became a goal-scoring legend at Old Trafford under Sir Alex Ferguson before moving on to Real Madrid. Nani is another successful Portuguese recruit, but Amorim has concerns that the top young talent in his home country has been missed by United in recent years.
Only Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot, who were signed in 2020 and 2018 respectively, have made 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 achieved by rivals Manchester City. Chelsea’s Pedro Neto is cited as another prime example.
Rashford rattles dressing room
Rashford has left the club’s dressing room frustrated 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 bombshell statement came out in the aftermath of United’s derby win over Manchester City.
It had already been suggested that the Red Devils were open to the 27-year-old’s exit, potentially in January. Now the Englishman himself has appeared to further that agenda by suggesting publicly he’s keen to try something new.
“For me, personally, I think I’m ready for a new challenge and the next steps,” Rashford said. “When I leave it’s going to be ‘no hard feelings’. You’re not going to have any negative comments from me about Manchester United. That’s me as a person.”
Rashford’s public declaration did not go down well in the dressing room, according to the Sun. A portion of the squad are said to be dismayed by the comments, which served as a distraction following their statement win over Pep Guardiola’s side.
Osimhen on radar
Amorim, in his search for more firepower, has requested the signing of Victor Osimhen next month, according to El Nacional. The Nigeria forward is currently on loan at Galatasaray after it became obvious he had no future at Chelsea.
The striker has been prolific wherever he’s been and is content in Turkey, recently saying: “I came here on loan, but there is a great friendship. It feels like I have been in Istanbul for 10 years.”
However Osimhen is said to have a clause in his loan deal that could see him depart for elsewhere. He is set to be a far cheaper alternative to Viktor Gyokeres, who is likely to have a number of clubs clamouring for his signature.
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