Amorim confirms he wants to keep Man Utd duo at the club amid links with moves away | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim has hailed the impact of two Manchester United players who have been linked with moves away from the club during the January transfer window.

Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo have had indifferent performances since Amorim took over from Erik ten Hag, notably the former was dropped by the Portuguese alongside Marcus Rashford for the Manchester derby.

Garnacho has since been linked with a move away from Old Trafford with Premier League rivals Chelsea and Serie A outfit Napoli among the reported suitors.

Mainoo meanwhile has also been linked with a move to Stamford Bridge amid uncertainty of the midfielder’s contract being extended.

However, both put in eye-catching performances in the 2-0 win at FCSB in the Europa League, and earned plaudits from Amorim.

He said: “[Garnacho] is improving under me. He changed right away since that game against [Manchester] City. The way he understands things and understands that I just want to help him. I just want to win games. And he changed in every [aspect].

“The approach when I spoke with him, the way he recovers, he understands that sometimes I’m a different kind of coach and I’m demanding in my own way. It’s always for him but I’m a different person.

“I think all the merit is from Garnacho and he’s improving and we want to continue to improve with him. He understood the position, the moments of playing inside, outside, the connection with players is improving a lot.”

Mainoo scored United’s second goal in Romania, and Amorim dismissed suggestions that contract talks and links away from the club have impacted his performances.

“I don’t think it’s the contract,” he said. “Everybody in England sees him as a very, very good player. He played in the European Championship final. So I think it’s more the position. Then he’s not comfortable because before he was always playing and now sometimes he plays and sometimes doesn’t play. Maybe there is something to do with that.

“The key point is the position. It’s different for him and demands a lot from him and today in that position (number ten) I feel he is more happy to play. It’s as simple as that. I don’t look at just the movements but the way he touched the ball. I feel it just watching him. He was so happy on the pitch and that is important for me because if they are happy they play better.”

Amorim is not naive to the model of selling academy players for higher transfer fees to comply with profit and sustainability rules, but reinforced his desire to keep both players at the club.

“I want players like Kobbie and Garnacho. The focus is that we have to improve our academy and you have to bring more. Because that is something that all the clubs in England have to take advantage of. The players that came from academy. To play, to fill the shirt and also to sell. So our focus is to bring more. The rest I just want to prepare with both of them the next game.”