Amorim’s £100m Rebuild at Man Utd Hinges on Major Player Sales | OneFootball

Ruben Amorim’s Rebuild: Can United’s Squad Clear-Out Fund Real Change?

Budget Limits, Big Decisions

Manchester United’s bruising Europa League final defeat was a fitting end to a season best described as the club’s lowest ebb in over half a century. No Champions League football, no silverware, and, for new manager Ruben Amorim, the enormous task of halting a downward spiral now lies ahead. As reported by The Telegraph, Amorim will have a £100 million transfer budget and the unenviable job of overhauling a bloated squad without the financial comfort of Europe’s top competition.

“I think people are lucky that we are where we are, not relegated with the season we’ve had,” Christian Eriksen said candidly. “It’s a bit of luck, you have to acknowledge. Next season it has to be better.”

But “better” will require significant surgery. Amorim’s first moves include pursuing Ipswich striker Liam Delap and Wolves forward Matheus Cunha, whose respective release clauses of £30 million and £62.5 million would consume nearly the entire budget. Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo is also a reported target.

Photo: IMAGO

Trimming Fat from a Bloated Roster

United’s senior squad, including loanees, currently stands at 31. The club intends to slash that number to the low-to-mid 20s, both to reduce the fixture load and cut costs. With no Champions League income, players have not activated contract clauses entitling them to 25 per cent salary uplifts for the second successive season, offering some temporary wage bill relief.

This also means outgoing players may prove more affordable to suitors, removing a major barrier in today’s strained transfer market. According to the piece, United will “listen to offers for almost all players on their individual merits”, a pragmatic and perhaps overdue policy shift.

Amorim’s presence at United’s executive committee meeting in Monaco underlined a fresh tone at the top. The mood, reportedly “bullish and upbeat”, seems at odds with what many view as “the club’s worst season for 51 years”, but ambition is clearly being maintained.

Stars at Risk, Budgets on a Knife Edge

Manchester United’s summer plans will hinge on player sales and the size of offers received. Alejandro Garnacho and Marcus Rashford, two of the club’s higher-profile assets, could depart for £60 million and £40 million respectively. Amorim has reportedly told Garnacho to find a new club, while Barcelona have expressed interest in Rashford, who spent the second half of the season at Aston Villa.

Then there is Bruno Fernandes, United’s captain and a rare shining light amid the darkness. A reported £80 million bid from Al-Hilal could tempt United’s hand, despite the club’s preference to retain the Portuguese playmaker. “What happens with Bruno Fernandes could have a huge bearing on United’s transfer budget and plans,” notes the original piece. If Fernandes is sold, it would be both a statement of intent and an admission of necessity.

Further exits could include Jadon Sancho, whose loan agreement includes a £5 million penalty clause if Chelsea decide not to make the move permanent. Antony, once a marquee signing, is expected to leave for around £30 million, with Real Betis showing interest. Tyrell Malacia, Victor Lindelof, Christian Eriksen, and Jonny Evans are all heading for the exit door, with their departures clearing more than £200,000 per week from the wage bill.

Hojlund, Casemiro, and the Onana Question

Even the future of Rasmus Hojlund is unclear. After a torrid campaign, he’s reportedly drawing interest from Serie A clubs. With Cunha and Delap potentially incoming, his role would be dramatically reduced.

Casemiro, now 33, has one year left on his deal. Offloading the Brazilian’s wages would allow reinvestment into a younger midfielder, perhaps more suited to Amorim’s high-intensity style.

United’s goalkeeping department is also under review. While Tom Heaton is set to sign a new one-year deal as third-choice, Altay Bayindir could depart, and even Andre Onana is not immune from speculation. Saudi clubs have shown interest, and Leicester’s Mads Hermansen and Royal Antwerp’s Senne Lammens are among those being watched.

The idea of a club once regarded as European royalty conducting such sweeping cuts is sobering, yet necessary. If they are to rebuild, every decision must be rational, shrewd, and unsentimental.

Amorim’s Task: Rebuild or Recycle?

Amorim, whose appointment in November brought brief optimism, ended the season with only seven wins from 27 games. United finished 15th in the Premier League, their lowest position in the modern era. A full reset is now in motion.

He has inherited a club in structural flux. Once weighed down by bloated contracts and mismatched philosophies, the plan now is coherence. If United’s hierarchy sticks to this pragmatic path, Amorim could be afforded the rarest commodity in football: time.

But without Champions League football and the financial edge it brings, recruitment becomes trickier. Character will be prioritised over commercialism. Gaps left by star names must be filled by players who offer hunger, not just headlines.

Word count: 890

Our View – EPL Index (Opinion)

As a concerned Manchester United supporter, it is difficult to ignore the sobering reality of this report. The idea of offloading Garnacho, Rashford, or even Fernandes would have been laughable two seasons ago, but now it feels like survival rather than ambition is driving this summer.

There is cautious optimism in Amorim’s appointment, but that can only stretch so far without backing. If United’s plan hinges on selling off top-tier talent to fund replacements from lower-profile clubs, the rebuild risks resembling another cycle of trial and error.

Christian Eriksen’s comments hit hard. To say the club was lucky not to be relegated shows how low standards have slipped. “It’s a bit of luck,” he said, “you have to acknowledge.” There was no talk of tactics, identity, or pride. Just luck.

This window could define United’s next five years. Do they sell their best players for a shot at balance, or hold onto them and risk mediocrity again? Most fans will back a reset if it’s honest, but only if there’s a sense of direction. Right now, it feels like United are stuck between clinging to a broken past and leaping into an uncertain future.