Manchester United Transfer Rumours

05 Jan 2026 10:35:12
Manchester United sack Ruben Amorim in the wake of rising tension at Old Trafford; Amorim dismissed after meeting with Omar Berrada and Jason Wilcox; Darren Fletcher to take charge of United for Wednesday's game at Burnley; Amorim departs after 14 months in charge.

05 Jan 2026 11:23:27
The press conference yesterday sealed his fate. Otherwise he would have seen the season through.

05 Jan 2026 11:29:49
Rinse and repeat. And so the cycle continues.

05 Jan 2026 11:40:03
Who we thinking for his long term replacement then?

I believe Glasner is the favourite.

05 Jan 2026 12:00:26
Glasner? The guy who plays 343? That will go well here. It shouldn't be ever so long before some turn on him due to his 'formation'.

05 Jan 2026 12:11:25
Here’s hoping Wilcox follows him out the door.

05 Jan 2026 12:56:35
Ed001, you mentioned that the club were willing to get rid of Wilcox. Is this something they could still do?

I have not been impressed with what I’ve heard about him. That he sucked up to Ratcliffe and undermined Ashworth to steal his job. I feel like we need a proven DoF to come in and sort out the mess.

{Ed001's Note - I think it is very likely he will be replaced as well, in a couple of months or so when it will not seem related.}

05 Jan 2026 15:12:05
Thanks, Ed001.

05 Jan 2026 10:09:54
Amorim has been sacked.

05 Jan 2026 11:06:44
He shouldn’t be the only one. Wilcox and berrada should be following him.

05 Jan 2026 03:01:34
In the event INEOS release Amorim, it is Fletcher for interim, apparently.

If INEOS were to release Wilcox, we could make a play for Mitchell, I believe he is still a free agent since Monaco.

If INEOS were to also release Berrada, perhaps Jean-Claude Blanc gets dropped into that role.

Eds, what are your sources saying on this debacle?!

{Ed001's Note - from what I can gather it is not so much a debacle as just a group of people who have been put together and it is not working out. Just a personality clash, as much as a working disagreement. They tried to get them to sort it out between them, but it has just escalated. Now the decision has to be made as to who is the actual issue and they will be replaced. I did expect it to be Wilcox, but Amorim's public comments have just put him in the spotlight and they do not like to be publicly rebuked like that, so I think that you might see Amorim also replaced now.}

05 Jan 2026 07:37:37
Sounds like he is done Ed001, you can't come out and say these things about the hierarchy. It was very Maresca like.

Ken, mentioned, the other week that the football hierarchy at United have backed Amorim and there's a greater plan here and that he wouldn't expect mere mortals like myself to understand.

So, hopefully he reads this and can let us know how the plan is going?

{Ed001's Note - he has basically handed in his notice. It was very strange considering he seemed to have the upper hand.}

05 Jan 2026 08:03:10
Cheers Ed, I really hope that Berrada throws Wilcox under the bus and goes for Mitchell.
I was looking at Freedman, but realised he has since chased the money and is managing in Saudi.

Not overly convinced by Berrada but if he can decipher who is 1. The bigger problem and 2. Who is going to bring longer term success out of Amorim/Wilcox, then I'm willing to get behind the decision.

On the surface, as per previous posts, I have seen progress in our play under Amorim, with some glaring holes that need filling. I guess he is frustrated the holes aren't being filled quickly enough to progress the plan.

{Ed001's Note - I do think Amorim has basically handed in his resignation letter though.}

05 Jan 2026 08:30:09
Sad if this comes to pass as you describe, Ed001, because we are improving under RA. So the merry-go-round continues. When will the lunacy end?!

{Ed001's Note - I believe he had won, but then went public over it. If he had just stayed quiet, I believe things would have changed in his favour. Now I can't see that they have a choice but to get rid, because you can't allow your employees to simply publicly revolt against their bosses.}

05 Jan 2026 08:52:39
Thanks for the reply ed001.

What do you mean when you say you think he had won?

Like, had the upperhand over Wilcox? And who is driving the thing against Wilcox, has Vivell got any say in all of this?

{Ed001's Note - Yes, I believe Wilcox was going to be the one removed and replaced as the pair could not work together. Airing dirty linen in public could have changed that though, now they might feel they have to back Wilcox.

Wilcox and Amorim do not mesh well together, there is friction there apparently.}

05 Jan 2026 09:56:31
ED001,

If Urd do sack RA, who so you think they should go for?

No doubt Xavi will be linked with the job, but I'm not sure he woukd be suited to it. Although he has worked under similar circunstances and Barcelona.

{Ed001's Note - Hoeness and Iraola are the 2 that stand out for me.}

05 Jan 2026 10:16:36
How utterly stupid. Too many short term thinkers out there. There was clear progress and this could set us back. Need to make a really good hire now. If it's Glasner then we'll have the same crap again with people complaining about the formation.

Iraola is probably the one to go for but he might already be lined up elsewhere. Extremely annoyed by all this. Amorim should have been backed and that press conference was recoverable from.

05 Jan 2026 10:31:04
He was manager of the month not long ago, and everything was looking pretty good. As soon as we've hit a bad patch, with a squad affected by AFCON, everyone has gone mad.

05 Jan 2026 10:31:57
Ed001, do you know anything more about the Ashworth sacking last year, it seems Wilcox has amassed a lot of power and apart from him and Berrada being work pals from City, i don't really understand why and what skills he possesses to have this much say over transfers and playing style.

Genuinely confused about the hierarchy at the club.

{Ed001's Note - it was a dispute over the direction of the club. Ashworth didn't want Amorim, oddly enough, Wilcox did.}

05 Jan 2026 10:50:42
Spot on Ed. Just confirmed that Amorim has been removed.

{Ed001's Note - he basically went out and asked for the sack. Very odd behaviour.}

05 Jan 2026 11:00:25
Cheers ED001,

Apparently Vivell has been tasked with recruiting a manager?

Im not sure if that is a good or a bad thing. Presumably they intend to appoint a manager who play a specific style of football?

{Ed001's Note - the alternative is Wilcox, so I think Vivell is the better choice! The plan is someone the whole club from youth level up, can align with.}

05 Jan 2026 11:27:58
Ed001,

Did Berrada and Wilocs perform well at City?

Obviously the club did, we're they appointed because of their success or the clubs successes?

{Ed001's Note - they were not really in a position to have a major effect on decisions, Pep and the guy from Barca that Rafa had previously taken to Liverpool (was it Vilanova? Damn my memory has gone absolutely blank on the name!) were in charge. Wilcox etc all worked under their direction, rather than being the ones tasked with making the decisions. So you would have to say they were appointed because of the club's successes.}

05 Jan 2026 11:38:23
Txiki Begeristain ed?

For some reason I think we will go for xavi.

{Ed001's Note - that's him. He rebuilt Liverpool's academy and produced the blueprint for the club's infrastructure upgrades. He then moved to Citeh and turned their whole infrastructure, including academy, into probably the best in the world.}

05 Jan 2026 11:35:47
ED001,

Was it Txiki Bergiristein?

Thanks.

{Ed001's Note - yes mate, thank you. I can't believe I forgot his name.}

05 Jan 2026 11:50:32
Im surprised the club haven't gone for him. i'm notnaure if he has since retired.

05 Jan 2026 13:27:56
He wasn't at Liverpool was he ed?

{Ed001's Note - no, I think you are right, he was the one Rafa wanted but turned the job down and then took the ones from Liverpool that Rafa did bring in to rebuild the academy. My god I am getting old! Things are getting mixed up in my mind to a frightening degree these days. Was it Borrell and Segura? It is Begiristain who works with Pep though, but very much a partnership as Pep pretty much has full control.}

05 Jan 2026 15:06:33
Rodolfo borrell was definitely a coach worked for city and Liverpool not sure on segura.

06 Jan 2026 09:19:06
Ferran Soriano.

04 Jan 2026 21:52:58
Rumour has it the discontent from amorim and the board is mainoo. They want him to be the posterboy but amorim doesn't want him and wants to sell him.

04 Jan 2026 23:18:03
It is extremely unlikely that that is the case. Nothing suggests this from anything Wilcox, Ratcliffe or Amorim has said.

04 Jan 2026 23:54:54
The board would not mind selling Mainoo one bit, from and ffp perspective he's the best player to sell from this current squad unless Saudi come in for Bruno again.

03 Jan 2026 13:46:44
Rumours today about friction behind the scenes over playing style? And the rigidity of the preferred system.

Add in the latest comments about transfers and it suggests all is not well.

Of course this could be clickbait, bit I think there will be some merit in these rumours.

03 Jan 2026 15:16:51
Good Amorim should be getting a kicking from his bosses.

Playing style is awful.

03 Jan 2026 15:27:09
They’ve known this for ages now, if they expect him to change in any way then more fool them. From where I sit none of them have a clue and look way out of their depth. Maybe the blame game is about to begin!

03 Jan 2026 15:58:44
Here we go again. Might as well just wrap it all up and shut down Manchester United. As it is this hiring sacking hiring sacking cycle isn't taking us anywhere. If the patience is over then so should be this football club.

03 Jan 2026 23:35:59
The embargoed bit from the pre match press conference pretty much confirms these rumours.

Journo asks Amorim why he's changed system, is it because of lack of budget to implement the 3-4-3 or have Wilcox et al had a word because its not been working.

Amorim who hasn't yet met a journalists question that he doesn't want to respond to says he doesn't want to talk about it but that the journalist is smart to observe this.

04 Jan 2026 10:58:50
Excuses and finger pointing from all sides, in reality they are all culpable. The players, coach and those above them.

04 Jan 2026 15:38:12
It's just a typical power struggle. Wilcox and Vivell are sticking their oar in over formation and, in return, Amorim is doing so about recruitment. In reality it's fine for both to do so but it's tense right now while results aren't as good as anyone wants. We're actually in an ok position and with players coming back we should see draws turn into wins.

Too much shaudenfraude here. Utd Road the playing style is not awful. We're creating a lot of chances, and some of the play is very good. We're lacking in some positions and have serious squad deficiencies so of course we aren't fluid or as good as we want to be, but making out as if we're a shambles is very far from reality.

04 Jan 2026 17:18:15
I would say the playing style is awful but Amorim can't play against ten man Everton and show absolutely nothing and follow that up with a several brutal performances and expect unquestioned support in the transfer window. I wouldn't be on Wilcox side either, I think they should both go.

04 Jan 2026 19:24:36
Banjoe what good would that be? We keep just jumping from manager to manager. We finally are addressing the actual issues - that the players aren't good enough - and have done well in the last couple of windows. How about seeing that through for once? There is ample evidence that we're improving. Instead of complaining that we're not consistent or not challengers yet let's stand by the manager.

The question should be "are we improving, and doing so at the rate we expect". At the start of the season most here had us between 4th and 8th and we're currently 5th. Nobody had us in the top 3. We most definitely are on track.

04 Jan 2026 19:54:03
I actually hate this style of play under Amorim. It doesn't feel like United to me, so I'm very happy for him to go but it's not totally his fault. Wilcox and co hired him to implement a system and style and are now not supporting it allegedly. This appointment hasn't worked and I don't believe it ever will.

04 Jan 2026 20:55:09
There’s problems with both sides.

At a club level, they brought in Ashworth to be director of football and implement a club wide playing style. But Berrada and Wilcox are buddies, and wanted Wilcox to have Ashworth’s job. Ratcliffe’s ear was bent by Wilcox because he prefers blaggers who tell him what he wants to hear, rather than professionals who tell the truth. The net result was that Ratcliffe sided with Berrada and Wilcox, leaving the club without a director of football and giving Amorim far more control over playing style.

On Amorim’s part there seems to be an unwillingness to learn. His system worked in one set of circumstances. This does not guarantee that it will work in a completely different league. The fact that he has persisted despite the mounting evidence that it isn’t going to produce winning football for Man United, suggests that he is incapable of adapting. This has been an issue since he arrived, and he has dug in deeper and deeper.

Today’s comments were interesting to say the least. He was explicitly hired as a head coach, not a manager. Yet, claims that he took the job under the belief that he would be a manager rather than a coach. This speaks to the lack of underlying direction regarding play style - i. e. they told Amorim that he would have control over shaping the play style because the DOF resigned. Now that the club directors can no longer ignore the lack of improvement, we’re seeing tension between a coach who thinks he’s a manager, and a leadership team scrambling to rectify their initial mistakes.

The biggest losers are the players and the fans who just want to play/watch winning football.

05 Jan 2026 00:23:25
The style of play isn’t as bad as people make out, we are 2nd in the league for chances created, we are third in the league for goals. There’s been a marked improvement in the offensive output.

One thing to point out is, the club have been inept when it comes to getting the wingbacks required for Amorims system. The offensive output would be even higher if he had the players required for the wingback positions.

Defensively we ship waaaaay to many goals, and the culprit is the midfield, we get unpicked by midfield runners all the time. The midfield has been a problem for years. We need two midfielders ASAP, players with legs, tactical discipline and high energy.

Top four is there for the taking, we need midfield reinforcements to achieve it though. The fact Amorim isn’t getting any suggests to me the board no longer want to back this manager.

I feel for Amorim, he wanted to come at the end of the season but was forced to leave a team flying mid season. Wilcox er Al would have known the hybrid Van Gaal/Mourinho/Ole/Ten Haag Frankenstein squad needed tearing down but they never bought Amorim the players he needs to be a success. A lot of that squad have sacked multiple managers.

Rangnick said it best and his comments look more and more accurate every year.

23 Dec 2025 17:02:19
Had a bit of drive today and had Talksport on, not the most reputable but.

Semenyo- Utd, City and Chelsea apparently most advanced Liverpool lurking, Spurs and Arsenal out of it.

Talk of Neves in Jan for £15M or free at end of season. Confirmed Utd want a 6 and 8, elite level whatever that means, and they may wait to summer for 2 of Anderson, Wharton or Baleba.

Merry Christmas and equally all the best to those who celebrate something else or nothing at all.

23 Dec 2025 20:39:00
Rumours circulating that Semenyo has rejected United in favour of city. No idea how legit those rumours are. But thought I’d share.

23 Dec 2025 20:53:26
It comes from David Ornstein so that's almost as good as confirmed that he'll be going to City.

That's a shame as he'd have been a great signing for us, top quality, EPL proven and capable of playing right across the front line, probably even at wingback. He'd have added a lot to us.

But I can understand why he would choose City right now over us. Yes we might be an exciting club to join right now, but City are pretty much guaranteed to be challenging for all the major honours every year. While for City he could be the signing that swings the title race in their favour.

If he's going elsewhere then let's move on, we should only be signing players who really want to be here fighting for the badge and giving their all for us. Although I expect that significantly reduces the chances of us signing a player in January. I don't think the club will move for a player unless they are a long term target. No short term fixes under the new structure.

24 Dec 2025 11:36:09
I'm not buying the Ruben Neves links either, I just think it's a case of it being a Portuguese midfielder who is looking to leave Saudi and wants to come back to the EPL and us having a Portuguese manager and needing a midfielder.

I just don't see him as a very good fit for an Amorim system, where the midfield needs to be physically strong and athletic due to them needing to cover a lot of ground. He's more of a deep-lying playmaker style of midfielder who needs an aggressive ball winner next to him. Which isn't something Amorim has typically used.

If we were to go for a midfielder in January I'd expect it to be more like someone similar to Conor Gallagher. A dynamic, athletic, box to box type player who can win the ball back and cover a lot of ground in midfield, as that is what we are lacking most. Gallagher would be ideal, and the club did try to get him on loan with an option to buy in the summer, so could go back with a similar deal in January.

That said I believe we will only go for long term targets, players we intend to have around for the next 3-4 years as key players. I can't see us doing any short term deals. So maybe not any loan deals, unless they truly intend to make it permanent in the summer.

24 Dec 2025 13:05:34
Man United are not an exciting team to be joining atm. We are a shambles.

24 Dec 2025 14:58:37
SWYW- Utter nonsense.

24 Dec 2025 23:32:54
IWOTB - can you tell me why that’s nonsense pal? We aren’t an exciting team to join. Yes we are a bit better than last season but nothing exciting yet. Positive steps but not exciting.

26 Dec 2025 19:27:47
SWYS - We are an exciting g club to join. My gut feel is in 18-24 months the United/City picture will be very different….

27 Dec 2025 10:48:37
Swys we are definitely on the ascent. If you can't see that then maybe following sport isn't for you.

28 Dec 2025 10:21:38
Always rated Ruben Neves, but I don’t think he’s the man for us either despite his bargain price tag. He’ll be snapped up in January at that money though, as long as he accepts he won’t be getting Saudi wages in Europe.

16 Dec 2025 20:15:11
Evening Ed,

How likely is a move for Semenyo in January? There is not usually much movement in January but it does seem like it's an opportunity that would be attractive to a few teams if it is true that there will be a fixed fee in place.

How he would fit in would be another discussion.

{Ed001's Note - I don't know of any likely attempt by United in January. I would think there are other priorities.}

16 Dec 2025 20:53:41
What are those priorities and targets, please.

{Ed001's Note - central midfield, wing-back and centre-back.}

16 Dec 2025 22:16:39
Ed001 Semenyo I'd assume would be targeted for wing back. Amorim has mentioned wanting an attacking left sided wing back several times.

17 Dec 2025 08:40:16
Can you please provide likely targets by name?

{Ed001's Note - Midfield: Gomes, Barrios, Anderson, Sadiki, Smit. Interest seems to have cooled in Baleba, no doubt down to his poor season.

Wing-back: I don't have any names but I know that Dorgu is seen as a disappointment and a replacement is being sought.

Centre-back: Murillo, Bastoni, Guehi, Diomande, still interest in Branthwaite though his injury history is likely to put paid to any move materialising, Scalvini, Lacroix and Silva.

I am sure there are probably more of interest, they are just who I know of that you have been watching.}

17 Dec 2025 10:26:12
Thank you for the names Ed001, very much appreciated!

Have often been on the Liverpool site and enviously seen the ITK regular updates there.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate. There is a fair bit of crossover luckily, so often players LFC watch are also being tracked by United. So I can sometimes get bits from people who are talking about Liverpool interest, because they will say what other teams they know of are keen.}

17 Dec 2025 13:45:13
Seems like with the interest in centre backs means Martinez and Shaw aren't seen as long terms solutions at the club with the amount of left sided players in the list.
I'd love to see Anderson in the midfield along side kobbie and Bruno if we got to 433.

17 Dec 2025 19:39:33
Appreciated, thanks. Keep it up, . please.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}

18 Dec 2025 15:54:57
I do know how likely a move for Semenyo would be in January for us, but I think he'd be a phenomenal signing if we could get him.

We lack real pace in behind when Mbeumo isn't playing, which is something Semenyo would bring.

He is also capable of playing right across the front line and more importantly I think he'd really suit playing in the wingback roles as Amorim ideally likes them to play. Effectively as wingers high and wide, but with a good work rate to help out defensively but they aren't supposed to be defenders.

If you look at the options we currently have in Amad, Dalot, Mazraoui, and Dorgu. The only one who has consistently performed well under Amorim is Amad, who is the only one who isn't naturally a defender. That's not a coincidence, it's due to the role they are supposed to play in this system. It naturally suits a more offensive player.

Amad on the right and Semenyo on the left, with Cunha, Sesko and Mbeumo in-between them would be utterly frightening. Although to balance that out we would need to have two proper defensive midfielders in the pivot. No Bruno Fernandes with that front line, but then would you need him with that front line? Probably not.

18 Dec 2025 19:35:20
Is playing on the left to Semenyo's strengths?

I think he is a quality player, but his best football comes from playing on the right. I really don't want to see players being bought and played out of position, or to accomodate other players.

{Ed001's Note - he can play all over the front line, he has played equally up front and on left and right.}

19 Dec 2025 07:25:58
I think he has scored more from the left than the right agree with ed he is equally effective from either side and gets played from both.
I think he is so good that he could probably play in goal and be effective.

19 Dec 2025 08:52:53
Cheers ED001.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}

19 Dec 2025 12:59:43
ED001,

Do. ypu think Semenyo is best suited to a 343 or 433?

{Ed001's Note - I think he can play either equally well - so long as he is at the top end. Playing wing-back would require him to learn a new role altogether and there is no telling how he would get on until he is tried in it.}

19 Dec 2025 13:17:36
Thanks ED001.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome MH.}

19 Dec 2025 20:57:35
Hi Ed,
I noticed Wharton is not listed above, has interest cooled or was it never there?

{Ed001's Note - from what I understand he is off the table in January, I would expect him back on the list for the summer.}

21 Dec 2025 03:40:14
Cheers Ed.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome.}

21 Dec 2025 12:23:44
Ed, if you don't mind. Who do you think we should be looking at? I know that’s not an easy one to answer, but I’d be interested in what type of player/players you think we really need?

{Ed001's Note - your biggest priority, imo, is central midfield. Especially as you are often outnumbered in there due to the tactical shape you employ. So I would go for a Bruno Guimaraes type. I don't think he is going to leave Newcastle, but you need someone like him with drive and desire. Elliott Anderson seems the next best option. I do like Ederson of Atalanta too and Santos of Chelsea I think would grow into an excellent player given a run of games, rather than dicked about like he has been there. I still think Gomes or Andre would step up a level if rescued from Wolves and would both be excellent options. A player like Gallagher could be a useful option - if cheap - as a rotation option. His energy could help make up for the lack of numbers in there, but it would depend on who is next to him. You could get away with a Bruno Fernandes better with Gallagher there, as he wouldn't need to be creative and would do a lot of the legwork to allow the Portugese to play more. The two that have particularly impressed me this season are Miley and Sadiki, though Miley has been playing right-back lately, he has still been a standout for the Toon. Sadiki just always impresses me.

Wing-back is a difficult one, really depends how attacking Amorim wants to go. It is a left sided one you need imo, as Dorgu is dreadful. The problem is that there are so few left-sided options, which is why Citeh ended up with the entirely average Ait-Nouri. Maatsen would be good if he could be prized away from Villa. Lewis-Skelly would be good too - might be worth an ask as he is not getting much game time this season.

Centre-back, the obvious are ones like Schlotterbeck, Murillo and Bastoni. Esteve of Burnley has been impressive this season, I have to say. He might be worth a look at.}

22 Dec 2025 11:53:47
Thanks Ed, appreciate that.

{Ed001's Note - very welcome mate.}

16 Dec 2025 11:56:14
Few articles on Twitter claiming the club did want Bruno to go in the summer, but didn't have the stomach for the decision. Seems to be his own words.
Bit of a difference from the view at the time that they'd left it totally up to him.

16 Dec 2025 13:53:14
It would always look better for the club if Bruno had said 'Yes, I want to leave', rather than for the club to accept an offer and try push him out.

ED002, did say that runo had previously turned down a January transfer off from SA. Perhaps this summer Bruno will move.

One thing is certain, he is clearly miffed at the situation. Could he be angling for a move in January now? Doubtful, yes possible.

16 Dec 2025 15:39:35
I put a post in reply to a thread on the banter page explaining why I think he’s got to go. We need to cash in, his stock is still high as his stats are good, it’s a WC year and it’s makes sense for Saudi to want him.

I have no idea of his net book value but I would assume it’s zero as he’s fulfilled his first contract.

Sell him and spend whatever it takes on Anderson. That’s the RCM position sorted along with part of the midfield opposition runners issue that’s constantly costing us.

We can then sort the LCM position either in the summer or pull the cash forward and buy someone else in Jan (Baleba, Stiller or Wharton) . I’d love to see Anderson and Wharton together in our midfield, two prem proven players who cover good amounts of ground with slightly different but complementary attributes.

16 Dec 2025 16:39:15
Assuming this is actually coming from Fernandes I find it odd, the fact he has done it and the timing.


As club captain this is not something I would expect within the season

Whether something has gone on behind the scenes and he is now looking for an exit in January. just all very odd and not sure the hierarchy will be pleased.

16 Dec 2025 16:55:54
I’d like to see Bruno with Wharton and Anderson as a midfield. Elite.

16 Dec 2025 17:19:02
Get rid and take the 57 million, he's going to be nearly 32 by the start of next season.
Buy two proper central midfielders that can actually play there.
We have more than enough creativity in the team now with Mount, Amad, Mbembo and Cunha.

16 Dec 2025 22:33:19
Do we though, Simo?

I'd say Bruno probably has more assists than those four combined, this season. Probably more goals than two or three of them put together as well.

17 Dec 2025 01:26:41
I hear the argument about selling Bruno at his peak but in terms of creativity Wharton and/or Anderson are nowhere near his level. yet


I remember Madrid fans calling for Modric to leave but he stayed four more years and played at a very high level and it might be argued that they have not found a better replacement.

Let his value run down I don't care. The Board should find a way to finance transfers of midfielders coming in without selling our best asset

I want Bruno to stay. Get better midfielders to defend and work alongside him and let him do his best work. attacking the opposition.

18 Dec 2025 16:02:33
I love Bruno and think he's been our best player of the last decade by some distance.

Yet it's as obvious as the sun in the sky on a cloudless day that he doesn't naturally fit into this team. While his age means that he isn't someone to build around, and you don't get the best out of him unless you build around him.

The problem is that he was still by some margin our best player last season. It'd be a brave decision to force him out at the start of a rebuild and with no guarantees that you could adequately replace him. So I understand why the club left the decision up to him, that way at least they mitigate the backlash if things don't work out immediately.

Yet forcing him out last summer would probably have been the best decision. Him gone for a large fee, a fee that could have been spent on Baleba or someone similar would have meant we had a more balanced team this season and would probably have moved us further along the rebuild. But that's the benefit of hindsight.

If I was the club I'd be looking to force the issue this summer if he isn't interested in moving under his own volition. Because ultimately this teams ability to grow and adapt is being restricted by his presence.

19 Dec 2025 17:24:34
I keep hearing that we need to sell Bruno to find midfielders, I think we need to buy midfielders to release Bruno up into his favoured position.

He is not a central midfielder.

Has he done a job, yes.
Could he do better, yes
Has he been at fault for a number of goals against, yes

I'd be selling the likes of Ugarte before Bruno. Upgrade the stock we already have.

20 Dec 2025 14:09:38
Jimbob, I don't think selling Bruno is about raising funds, although that would be useful.

The issue with Bruno is that he isn't a natural fit in any position in this team under Amorim.

The inside forwards are typically players who progress the ball through running with it, that isn't something Bruno is particularly good at.

While the midfielders tend to be more athletic, water carrier types who plug holes and again carry the ball through lines of pressure before making a simple pass. Again that isn't Bruno's strength.

To get the best out of Bruno you give him a free role higher up the pitch. You let him drift into pockets of space and you have the rest of the team adapt around him to plug those gaps.

The problem is that you can't afford to build around one player if you want to compete for major honours, and you definitely can't do that when that player is over 30 and could start to decline soon.

So we are left with a player who doesn't have a natural position within the team, but he is still our best player and captain. Making it virtually impossible to drop him.

While Amorim is our manager and Bruno is still in the squad we will have to choose between two poor options.

1. Drop him and deal with the public and media backlash that will ensure simply because we are Manchester United so everything gets blown out of proportion.

2. Try and crowbar him into the team by playing him in a compromise position. Knowing full well that we won't get the best out of him, and that the team will have a flaw that cannot be mitigated.

Which brings us back to the simple solution, move on a player whose best days are behind him and allow the team to evolve and grow.

We have to remember that players come and go, they are and never can be more important than the team as a whole.

Most of the fans who don't want to see Bruno leave are the same ones complaining that Mainoo isn't getting enough football. Hopefully they can step back and see the irony of holding both of those opinions at the same time. Now I'm not saying Bruno leaving means Mainoo suddenly gets in the team, but it certainly opens the door a little more. While Mainoo isn't a perfect fit for what Amorim wants he is still a more natural fit than Bruno both in midfield and in the more advanced positions.

I'll be sad to see Bruno leave, but if we are to fully embrace moving on and becoming a serious title challenger again then it's something that will have to happen sooner or later.

23 Dec 2025 07:45:57
I take your points Shappy, however, we will be weaker without Bruno.
Having him floating across the front, much like Mbeumo and Cunha are capable of doing makes a lot of sense. His ability to create something out of nothing is worth keeping him around. Mount can do the same, as can Zirkzee.
That's 5 into 2 positions, assuming we don't invest further in these roles or promote from youth.

Whilst Bruno and Casemiro have done okay in the middle, they are without a doubt, a weakness.

I am in two minds though as you quite rightly state he is going to be 32 soon and is now if course injured. Will that continue to be a persistent injury, who knows. Would having him in the ranks be positive or negative, especially if he is sidelined by say a pairing of Anderson/Kone and Mainoo/Wharton. Or would his experience as a squad player be worth keeping him.

This is all without mentioning his salary and how that would assist if it was off our books.

11 Dec 2025 12:49:35
I believe there has been talk of a cut price deal for Joao Gomes at Wolves. He is crucial but Wolves may take £40m or do and bank for the Championship next season.

11 Dec 2025 21:18:17
Good player. Likely a longer term squad option but much better suited than Ugarte.

14 Dec 2025 10:45:48
He'd be a great option in January, which is always a difficult market to make good signings who can have an immediate impact.

Signing players in January is pretty much pointless unless they will have an impact in the second half of the season, as you tend to pay a premium and if they won't make any difference to the team until next season then you're probably better off waiting until the summer when you can probably get them on a better deal. The only other reason to do a deal in January is if it allows you to get the jump on other clubs who'll be competing to sign the same player in the summer.

Because of that if you are going to sign a player in January then it's better to sign players already playing in the EPL or who have had a successful spell in the league in the past.

João Gomes is an ideal January signing as he fits the profile of what we desperately need and he is proven in the EPL. While he might be available for a reasonable fee given Wolves current situation.

The other player who we should look at in January is Semenyo. Again EPL proven, and is the ideal profile of player for what we need. A creative attack minded player who is capable of playing across the front line and even as a wingback in our system. He'd offer great coverage while Amad and Mbeumo are off at the AFCON and the competition we need once they are back. He shares a lot of qualities with Mbeumo (quick and the threat in behind, a goal scoring threat, with a high work rate and ability to press from the front) . He is also rumoured to have a fixed fee in January and he is a player the club chased in the summer so we know they have had a strong interest in him before.

Those are the kind of players we should be looking at in January as we could do with a boost this winter as the league is far more open than many would have expected. A couple of good signings could be the difference between UCL or no European football at all, as it looks like the difference between 4th and 9th will be only a few points come the end of the season.

From watching us this season we started better than we were given credit for, then things started to click into place. Our underlying numbers are great, but the performances can be a little patchy and we have a tendency to defend well for the most part but we do give away 1 or 2 high quality chances a game which is costing us.

In recent weeks I feel like a combination of two things have seen us drop points where we should have won games (West Ham, Everton, Forest and Spurs are all games that we should have won based both on the chances created, and on balance of play) .

Yet we dropped 9 points in those games. For me the reasons for that is firstly, we have become a little too predictable in attack, our right hand side far outweighs the threat of our left and teams have made sure to focus more on denying us space down the right. Which has blunted our attack and seen us create fewer really high quality chances.

The other issue is that the squad doesn't have the depth needed to freshen things up or to make any positive changes. We have seen fans and pundits complain about the managers subs, but in truth when looking at the bench there really isn't much else he could do. The only sub I feel he has really made a mistake with was not bringing on Lacey when either 3-1 or 4-1 up against Wolves. That would have been the ideal time to give him 10 minutes and see how he does ahead of us losing both Amad and Mbeumo to the AFCON. Other than that though I can't really fault his subs.

Yeah we need to freshen things up in midfield, but Casemiro doesn't have the legs to stay on beyond 70 minutes, and the Mainoo/Bruno midfield combination has been poor every time we've seen them play together. Leaving the options as either just bring Ugarte on for Casemiro (which isn't ideal as they are two very different types of defensive midfielders) or bringing both Ugarte and Mainoo on together and either taking Bruno off as well or pushing him higher up the pitch.

We simply lack the right balance of options in midfield. Someone like João Gomes would be perfect as he can either come in for Casemiro or play alongside him. He'd pair equally as well with Bruno or Mainoo as well.

I'm not going to go as far as saying we need to make January signings, but I do think that this year there is an opportunity to maybe make one or two big January signings for reasonable fees. Players who can come in and make in immediate impact and provide the team exactly what we need, in a season that is very open. Meaning we could take advantage of that and maybe jump back into the UCL which could accelerate our rebuild both in terms of money and in terms of prestige when it comes to competing for top players next summer.

14 Dec 2025 18:36:58
I don't even know that many words Shappy.

14 Dec 2025 21:09:38
I can’t even be arsed reading anything that long.

{Ed025's Note - a lot feel the same way BR, Shappy makes some very good points but his posts are long winded and it puts people off, he comes across as a very nice guy...but i wouldn,t like to be stuck in a lift with him mate.. :)

14 Dec 2025 22:26:32
Once I get to two paragraphs I just keep scrolling rapidly until I see 'Shappy' then start reading again.

No offence intended towards the fella but If I wanted to be bored rubbishless I'd speak to my wife instead. ?.

15 Dec 2025 08:16:52
Yep agreed. Occasionally some good points but there are only so many ways you can say the same thing.

As soon as it gets to two paragraphs I am the same as Peter Griffin.

15 Dec 2025 09:42:24
My concern with Joao Gomes is, would you consider him a starter for a team wanting to constantly push for top 4 and even mount a title challenge? Buying Gomes in Jan, does it effect our business in the summer?

If for instance we could get Joao Gomes for circa £30m in Jan and still go after Anderson and Wharton in the summer I'd say go for it. However, if we spend the money now and it limits what we can do in the summer, I'd say wait.

Joao Gomes would improve us, based on our current options. He's tenacious and covers a lot of ground. I just think there are better options potentially avaliable in the summer.

15 Dec 2025 10:58:21
However in defence of Shappy, he is fully entitled to his opinion and can express it in any way he likes. We are not forced to read his posts.

I actually respect his opinion and he does have some good things to say. Cops a lot of grief from us lot, sometimes unfounded.

15 Dec 2025 12:32:03
Actually incredible the way the ed slags off genuine, honest supporters of the site like Shappy. Keep posting mate. Ignore the people who don't have the attention span to read longer than three sentences.

{Ed025's Note - i have said that im a big fan of Shappy RWWD and that he writes very well, some of his posts are very (over) long and people have told me that they skip them because of their length, i want people to appreciate his stuff and believe that if they were condensed a bit he would get the credit he deserves, its not slagging him off at all..

15 Dec 2025 16:43:22
I think I may just be jealous. If I write more than two paragraphs I confuse myself. You crack on Shappy lad! ?.

16 Dec 2025 08:25:44
Shappy’s Posts help keep this site alive.
He contributes with well thought out ideas.
His posts could be more concise but that’s not their style and I’m ? here for it.

16 Dec 2025 21:41:35
Despite his young age shappy is an elder lemon on this page and is one of the most genuine of people you are ever likely to meet. Top bloke. He loves a bit if slagging and craic and really couldn't care less what people think and he appreciates all the eds even ed025 who is a particularly old and perhaps a little mad elder lemon?.

{Ed025's Note - im a big Shappy fan Ken, but im 67 now mate and sometimes i do worry if i will actually get to the end of some of his posts.. :)

17 Dec 2025 17:30:04
I know you are ed and tbf you treat all posters well so thank you. 67 and you'd still beat Harry over 30yards?.

{Ed025's Note - by at least 10 yards Ken.. :)

18 Dec 2025 16:03:47
Aww thanks for the love everyone, I'm not sure my head will fight through the door now ?.

10 Dec 2025 14:22:11
Ed is there any serious interest in Sergio Ramous from us?

Theres some reports saying we have made an offer to sign him in January.

{Ed001's Note - I don't believe it is, but I have asked someone who should know to find out for me just in case.}

10 Dec 2025 17:52:31
You had me Googling Sergio Ramous as I was thinking there's no way we would be interested in 39 year old Sergio Ramos.

11 Dec 2025 13:45:51
Fantastic player but jeez we are 10 years behind the times… I know we need an experienced CB but surely this is made up nonsense.

11 Dec 2025 15:08:15
And Wesley Sneijder is coming out of retirement to join us. Come on, their more chance of us getting a game than Sergio Ramos. Probably his agent trying to gain interest in him.

13 Dec 2025 14:53:38
Ramos? He would get red carded in the first half of his debut and that would be the last you see of him.

14 Dec 2025 09:45:45
Good to see you Shane.