"As the January transfer window beckons, Manchester United's new manager Ruben Amorim is poised to make his mark on the squad. With the Red Devils eager to reassert their dominance in the Premier League, Amorim will be looking to make some savvy signings to bolster his team's chances. But who should he target? Here are the top 10 transfer moves that could make Amorim's January transfer window a resounding success, and propel Manchester United back to the top of English football."
Ruben Amorim finds himself in a difficult situation where he has to bolster his struggling Manchester United team in January but lacks the funds to do so.
The club must purchase in order to sell, and the Red Devils will undoubtedly look to loan transfers as a backup plan to save their season.
We believe that the ten player changes we have come up with—six departures and four arrivals—are the best Amorim can hope for during the winter transfer window in order to prevent more gut punches in 2025.
Antony [out]
Reports that still mention his £82 million transfer "rising to £86 million" make us laugh. It won't rise anywhere, will it? Which add-ons were those? Say that it was a Ballon d'Or clause, please. It would rank in the top three transfers in Premier League history, so we may argue over whether it was the worst, but there's no denying it was the funniest.
At the time, it was the fourth most expensive in history, which is fantastic, but even better because Ajax had turned down a £76 million offer for real Antony just a few days before United finalized the transaction, therefore eliminating them from consideration to buy Cody Gakpo. Everything is positive.
The most United can hope for is a loan from Real Betis, who are reportedly interested in covering the majority of his £200,000 weekly salary.
Christian Eriksen [out]
Christian Eriksen is the Manchester United player we feel the most sorry for having to play for the team. It was quite terrifying to watch Bruno Guimaraes and Sandro Tonali pop the ball around him on Monday night.
We can't recall the last time Eriksen played a pass worth mentioning or did anything like the brilliant things he used to do with a football because by the time he gets it, he's completely f***ed from the shadows he's been chasing in the previous lung-busting minutes. Even Eriksen at his best would have detested playing in that deeper midfield role.
Please just let him go now so we can enjoy him doing Eriksen stuff instead of all the distinctly un-Eriksen crap he's been forced to perform for the past year because he has no place in Amorim's structure that is appropriate for him.
Marcus Rashford [out]
When Rashford said that he was eager for a "new challenge," we wonder whether he had a slightly inflated view of his attractiveness. He was completely wrong if he thought he would be inundated with post-bombshell calls to his agency. Since the £100 million ties with Paris Saint-Germain, when Barcelona would have been making the bids instead of the other way about, there have been a lot of water under the bridge and far too few goals and assists.
Rashford denied rumors that he had "stepped up his bid to quit" Manchester United, possibly worried about the impact on his reputation if he finds no European club ready or able to sign him and is forced to remain at the team he obviously can't wait to leave. Since he will fetch a respectable sum of sweet, pure profit, finding a buyer should also be United's top priority. Presumably, this money can be utilized right away to acquire new players, saving Sir Jim Ratcliffe from having to take away additional toys from kids.
It's quite possible that Manchester United, not him, is the issue. This season, Jadon Sancho is making a strong effort to demonstrate that point at Chelsea. There will undoubtedly be managers who are confident in their ability to rekindle the career of a football player who is devastating when on song, even though Sancho's achievements in the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund last season provided recent evidence of his value (and Rashford hasn't contributed much).
Joshua Zirkzee [out]
The supporters' jeering of him off the field during the loss to Newcastle is all the more heartbreaking given his mix of happiness and shock at winning the Man of the Match award after making his debut with the game-winning goal against Fulham. Participating in that narrow-minded assault on your own player truly requires a unique type of pr*ck.
We totally understand Zirkzee's wish to return to Serie A, or at least somewhere other than the Premier League, but we would be extremely happy if he joined, say, West Ham, and flourished in front of those fans who criticized him. Those so-called fans should be ashamed of themselves.
Given that Napoli and Juventus are reportedly interested and that United will likely recover some, if not all, of their £36.5 million investment—which was a great deal thanks to his Bologna release clause—Serie A appears to be much more likely.
Casemiro [out]
Last time out, Amorim gave Newcastle three points on a plate by teaming Casemiro with fellow injured, once-great midfielder Christian Eriksen. It's unbelievable that he's started 10 of United's 19 Premier League games this season.
He doesn't need this shit and seems eager to rejoin Cristiano Ronaldo at Al Nassr, which should be a more laid-back experience and might earn United a respectable fee.
Victor Lindelof [out]
We would argue that people who have frequently accused Manchester United of not being good enough have held onto a two-decade-old perception of the team, but in reality, they are just as good as Victor Lindelof.
The Sweden international, who has been at Old Trafford for a very long time but is only thirty, is reportedly attracting interest from Newcastle, West Ham, and Leicester. We wouldn't rule out the possibility that he would be a great asset to whichever team signs him.
Randal Kolo Muani [in]
Even after Kylian Mbappe left, the miserable b*stard is still unable to play for PSG. This season, he has started five more games for France than his club, despite being benched by Marco Asensio, of all people.
Although United lacks the funds to sign him in January, rumors indicate PSG would consider loan proposals that included a purchase option or obligation. Given that Kolo Muani is familiar with Amorim's 3-4-3 formation from his time playing in Frankfurt as both the center striker and the two inverted flank positions, it seems like it makes sense for everyone.
Andreas Christensen [in]
We can picture the heartbroken reactions of Manchester United supporters who click on links that suggest a Barcelona player will be Amorim's big-name first addition and find out that the player is Andreas Christensen. Fair enough, but a little unjust. Despite his injuries this season, he was essentially a Barcelona mainstay the previous season and was a desirable addition because of his versatility as a center-back and defensive midfielder.
Cheap considering that his contract expires in 2026 (and potentially even free as Barca looks to reduce the salary bill), he has a wealth of Premier League and European experience, yet at 28, he still has plenty of energy left.
Christensen, who joined Chelsea when Thomas Tuchel replaced Frank Lampard and played a significant part in their Champions League victory, has also played a lot of football in a back three, which is Amorim's preferred formation. Amorim's decision to have "given the green light" for his transfer makes perfect sense.
Dani Olmo [in]
Although we find it amusing that reports suggest Olmo would rather not play football at all for the next six months than go on loan to Manchester United, there is a hint of kicking while down clickbait there, and we can't see the Spain international sitting and watching for half a season in his prime.
Olmo's agent claims he is "not considering any option other than Barcelona." As Barcelona struggles to come to an arrangement with La Liga over his registration in the new year, Olmo would probably prefer to move to one of the other teams lining up to sign him on a temporary basis. Presumably, a number of them will be keeping an eye on him.
Ben Chiwell [in]
Diego Leon, a teenager from Paraguay, has agreed to a £3 million transfer but won't be here until the summer. Regardless of whether he ends up being a true solution to United's left-back problems, they desperately need another alternative in that position right now. Nuno Mendes, one of the top young left-backs in global football, is expected to leave PSG to join a team closer to the relegation zone than European competition.
Amorim has reportedly already fallen into the same This Is Manchester United trap as everyone else. While having top targets is nice, Manchester United may currently have to make up with mediocre or even low targets.
Hi there, Mr. Chilwell. He is not a favorite of Enzo Maresca, and his Chelsea rejection may be explained by the fact that he is far more suited to playing left wing-back than left back.
Good day, Mr. Amorim. To replace Luke Shaw, there will be worries about bringing in another injury-prone England international, but we genuinely like the concept of Manchester United starting Shaw on the left of a back three with Chilwell tearing down the flank next to him.