Manchester United will prioritise signings for Ruben Amorim’s system this summer rather than big names, the head coach has revealed.
United have little left to play for in the Premier League but host Manchester City on Sunday seeking to complete a double over their city rivals for the first time in five years. The manager who oversaw that success, in the 2019-20 season, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, sought a cultural reset when taking over at Old Trafford, but his reign ended in October 2021 after a number of marquee transfers, including Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho, misfired.
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Solskjær was heavily criticised for sanctioning the return of Ronaldo and Amorim has suggested United must become far smarter in the market. The club’s recent financial troubles have been well-documented, with the co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe cutting costs and admitting the club had overspent on transfers. It is expected a limited budget will be available to Amorim, given his favoured 3-4-3 formation requires a number of bespoke signings.
Patrick Dorgu, a specialist left wing-back, was United’s only addition in the January window for an initial €30m (£25.1m) from the Italian side Lecce. The 20-year-old has started every game for which he has been available and has largely impressed.
Amorim said United were “trying to see gaps we have in our squad” and searching for the right mental and physical characteristics in possible targets. “I want to focus on our strengths and try to use our club to bring [in] one or two players, big players,” he said. “When I say big players, it’s not players from Real Madrid, it’s big players in the way I see the game.” He joked it would help if those players came without a hefty fee.
Amorim believes he is developing an understanding with Jason Wilcox, United’s technical director, having enjoyed a close relationship with Hugo Viana – now City’s director of football – when the pair worked together at Sporting. Wilcox is a former City academy coach and director.
“It’s a different context, a different league. The competition is completely different,” Amorim said when asked to compare working with Viana and Wilcox. “I was so lucky to work with Hugo and I find more or less the same relationship with Jason. In that department I’m completely relaxed. We need to be really good in recruitment, we need to know our system and the players have to be perfect for that.
“We know what we need to do. I am really excited for next season and already really stressed for next season because I put a lot of pressure on us.”
