Manchester United manager, Ruben Amorim, has made it clear that no player will be allowed to leave during the January transfer window unless a suitable replacement is brought in.
BBC reported that both Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee are eager for regular game time. Mainoo is interested in going out on loan, while Zirkzee has been linked with a potential return to Italy.
Even with the return of captain Bruno Fernandes, along with Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo, and Noussair Mazraoui from the Africa Cup of Nations, Amorim insists the squad cannot afford to lose numbers.
“It’s going to be hard for someone to leave the club if we don’t get a substitution,” he said.
“We are short. Even with the full squad we are short for something that can happen.
“We are a club with a big responsibility. We are dealing with all these issues and in [the media’s] heads, in my head, in everybody’s head, we need to win every game. It doesn’t matter. There are no excuses.”
Seven Key Players Missing
Amorim will be without seven senior players for the Boxing Day clash against Newcastle. Mainoo is sidelined with a calf injury, while defenders Matthijs de Ligt and Harry Maguire are also out.
The United boss has hinted that January could see a new signing, though Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo, who is set for Manchester City, will not be arriving.
In theory, adding a midfielder to replace Zirkzee or Mainoo could boost United’s push for a European spot in the second half of the season.
Financially, though, letting Mainoo leave might not make sense, as any incoming player would likely earn three to four times the 20-year-old’s current wage.
Until Mainoo returns, 18-year-old England youth international Jack Fletcher will provide midfield support alongside Casemiro, Mason Mount, and Manuel Ugarte over the Christmas and New Year period.
Sticking to the Plan
Amorim emphasized that signings only make sense if they align with the club’s long-term strategy.
“We are struggling in this moment, but the club has a plan and we are going to stick with the plan,” he said.
“If we have the opportunity to bring a player [in] that we think is going to be the future of the club, [he] is going to come. If not, we have Jack [Fletcher], we have Shea [Lacey] – in three weeks we’ll have Amad, Noussair and Bryan, and the return of Bruno and Kobbie Mainoo.”
Amorim did not provide updates on the contractual situations of Casemiro and Maguire, both of whom will be free to speak with other clubs from January 1.
He believes Casemiro’s training performances prove the Brazil captain will continue giving his all until the end of his United career—unless he accepts a substantial pay cut from his £300,000-a-week salary.
Mainoo was initially expected to learn from the former Real Madrid star but has ended up competing with him for a midfield spot and Casemiro has clearly emerged on top.
Despite criticism over limited game time for Mainoo, Amorim believes the young academy product is the club’s future.
“Kobbie Mainoo [has] played in different positions,” he said.
“He can do [Casemiro’s] position. He can play if we play with three, he can play like we play in the last game [at Aston Villa].
“The position of Mason Mount in that game, he can play there.
“He is going is going to be the future of Manchester United. That is my feeling.
“He just needs to wait for his chance. In football, everything can change in two days.”
