Man Utd target domestic stars as transfer strategy shifts | OneFootball

Man Utd’s Transfer Strategy Under Ruben Amorim: Structure, Sacrifice and Starting Again

Clear direction but complex realities at Old Trafford

Manchester United have rarely lacked for activity during the summer months. But movement, as history shows, does not always amount to momentum. This time, however, amid a backdrop of uncertainty, missed opportunities and changing leadership, there is something quietly reassuring about the start of this transfer window — a sense of order emerging from the cluttered corridors of Carrington.

United’s post-season tour of Asia was blighted by unrest, but their return has ushered in a flurry of developments that have sharpened the club’s focus ahead of a critical rebuild. From the arrival of Matheus Cunha and discussions over Bryan Mbeumo, to the retention of Bruno Fernandes and the complicated return of Jadon Sancho, United’s transfer strategy appears to be taking shape under the guiding hand of Amorim, a manager with clarity and conviction.

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Amorim’s early blueprint for Man Utd

The Portuguese head coach was asked, during a media briefing in Hong Kong, whether he knew what he wanted his squad to look like by the start of July.

“Yes,” he said. “I have a clear idea what we want. As you know, we are a bit limited and can’t do it all in one summer. But there is a clear picture for what we want.”

These are not empty words. Amorim has never been one for waffle. The decisions being made — and those still to come — reflect a head coach prepared to prioritise ruthlessly. His first step was to reinforce United’s attack, having grown visibly frustrated last season at the side’s inability to convert chances. Performances were often enterprising but blunt. The data backed it up. United were wasteful, predictable and unable to sustain pressure in the final third.

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In Cunha, Amorim has secured a proven Premier League performer. And should Mbeumo arrive from Brentford, United would be adding another player with pace, directness and, crucially, product. Between them, they scored 35 league goals last season, a substantial upgrade on the returns of Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee, who cost United a combined £110 million in the past two windows but have yet to justify the outlay.

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The preference for players with experience in English football is deliberate. After years of watching overseas arrivals struggle with the Premier League’s tempo and physicality, there appears to be a pivot in recruitment logic.

“I think they are players who can come in and hit the ground running,” said Gary Neville, speaking to Sky Sports. “United has become a very difficult place for new signings to operate in the last 10 years. Cunha and Mbeumo have got Premier League experience and lots of games under their belt.

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“When I watch Manchester United’s wide players, they have to be able to get from box to box quickly, and they have to be able to travel with the ball and without the ball. Mbeumo and Cunha can do that, they both run forward with real intent and purpose.

“The players who are going to leave are more jinkers and play in smaller spaces.”

That contrast is instructive. Amorim’s system demands verticality, aggression, and positional interchange — a marked shift from United’s ponderous patterns in recent years. There is a practical logic to buying players already accustomed to such rigour.

Internal reshuffling and exits on the horizon

But for every player arriving, there are others who must be ushered out. Amorim has already spoken of his willingness to work with a smaller squad in light of the absence of European football. With fewer matches, there will be fewer minutes to spread around, and that means tough decisions.

The United squad can, broadly, be divided into three groups. First, there are players Amorim is understood to have no interest in retaining — Jadon Sancho, Antony, Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho chief among them.

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Second, there are those who have underwhelmed and could be sold — Højlund, Zirkzee and Casemiro fall into that bracket. Third, there is a middle group: players United are happy to keep, but would allow to leave if the right offer came in.

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The difficulty lies not in deciding who to sell, but in executing the sales. Sancho, for instance, was courted by Chelsea but declined a pay cut. If a Champions League club is unwilling to meet his wage demands, others are unlikely to step forward. The same applies to Rashford and Antony, whose stock has fallen sharply over the past 12 months.

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Should no buyers emerge, United could find themselves back in familiar, uncomfortable territory — paying players to play elsewhere. It is precisely the sort of financial inefficiency that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the new Ineos leadership have vowed to eliminate.

But this is the reality of modern squad building. Reputation inflates value, but performances quickly deflate it. United are paying a heavy price for previous windows built on hope rather than hard analysis.

Behind-the-scenes operators will shape success

For all of Amorim’s tactical acumen, the success of this transfer window rests just as much on the shoulders of United’s new backroom figures. Technical director Jason Wilcox and lead negotiator Matt Hargreaves are tasked with delivering the signings Amorim wants, while finding suitable exit routes for the ones he does not.

Their challenge is twofold: to show pragmatism without panicking, and to extract value from a market that increasingly knows United are under pressure to sell. If they succeed, Amorim will have the tools to implement his system and build a team in his image. If they fail, the season risks becoming another exercise in compromise.

What is clear is that, for the first time in a while, United seem to be working to a plan. Young talents like Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven signal a long-term outlook, while experienced attackers like Cunha and Mbeumo offer immediate impact. Amorim is steering this rebuild with a calm authority that hints at something more than just another reset.

Now, it falls to the club’s hierarchy to match his clarity with competence.