Well, INEOS must be delighted to have spent over £200m on new talent to appease Erik ten Hag after reluctantly retaining the Dutchman’s services at the end of the 2023/24 season.
The new co-owners will know that by not sacking Ten Hag in the summer, they may have already committed the club’s 2024/25 campaign.
his unavoidable dismissal he has come just over two months into the season with United in 14th place in the Premier League and winless in the Europa League. It’s been a sorry start, but one INEOS believes it can be salvaged.
Rather than allow Ruud van Nistelrooy to take over on a short-term basis, United are intent on acquiring Ten Hag’s long-term successor immediately. It seems they have chosen wisely in Rubén Amorimwith the highly regarded and already highly decorated Portuguese coach poised to enter the fray soon.
Amorim, as Ten Hag tried but failed miserably, will want to build this Red Devils outfit in his own image. He’ll get down to business working with the Ten Hag players, but it won’t be long before he’s asking the hierarchy for some cash to get a few he knows out of the Portuguese capital.
Here are four Sporting CP players Amorim could bring with him Manchester United in 2025.
Assuming Amorim immediately installs the three-at-the-back system that worked so well in Lisbon, United look pretty well stocked at centre-back to deal with.
Leny Yoro’s return to fitness will be a big boost, Harry Maguire and Matthijs de Ligt are capable operators in the middle, while Lisandro Martinez will be the number one choice for the left wing role. Luke Shaw, Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazroui are also full-backs capable of playing three.
Ousmane Diomande could tempt Amorim if he wants to strengthen the heart of his defence, but the young defender is not yet a bona fide leader and is still incredibly raw. It would be a risk to splash it.
Inacio, on the other hand, is a cultured operator who has mastered the role of central left behind Amorim. It has attracted attention Liverpool in the past, with the defender flourishing as a ball player. Inacio is remarkably progressive with his passing and is a neat technician everywhere.
There may be a couple of concerns in terms of assertiveness, especially when jumping out of defense, but Inacio is still young and has plenty of room to develop further. He and MartÃnez could share the responsibility of performing the role of Amorim’s LCB.
When assessing how Amorim could put his United side with this squad, the immediate questions are the full-back. Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are injury fiends, while Dalot has enjoyed a tough season so far. Mazraoui is not a natural fit.
Overall investment will be paramount in 2025, and the new boss could turn to 23-year-old Catamo, who looks like the next gem Amorim has unearthed in the Portuguese capital.
Catamo is an expert on both sides and enjoyed his breakout season at Sporting in 2023/24 after a couple of loan spells. The dynamic operator arrived in Lisbon as a winger, but has developed into a very promising two-way winger who is remarkably quick and, as a result, can bounce back at a moment’s notice.
His physical attributes make him ideal for Amorim’s aggressive approach without the ball, and his winger background means he excels in offensive one-on-one situations. He’s a better front defender than when he’s forced to defend on a block, but Catamo’s overall improvement as a defender has been very impressive.
Ten Hag was blessed with talented individuals in midfield, but structural problems meant that United were constantly invaded in the middle of the park.
Amorim should bring a superior consistency without the ball that should not expose his double pivot in Manchester, and the new manager certainly has options to install a harmonious and balanced midfield dynamic.
In general he has been quite conservative with the profiles he has used in midfield; favoring full operators rather than specialists.
However, with Christian Eriksen in the final year of his contract and Casemiro on the wrong side of 30, United are poised to dive into the market next year.
Hidemasa Morita is an excellent stabilizer with progressive tendencies, but he’s 29 and perhaps a poor investment, so the similarly profiled Danish international Hjulmand might be the smartest move.
Hjulmand immediately established himself in the Amorim set-up after joining the club in 2023 and was a regular throughout their title-winning campaign. The 25-year-old is functional and intelligent on the ball, immense in duels and a superb blocker in space. How well he will cope with Premier League transitions is another matter.
Looking at Amorim’s Sporting even at the start of the manager’s tenure (they won the league in their first full season), you felt they were still missing a piece.
In the 2022/23 season, for example, Amorim relied on the underwhelming talents of Paulinho and a young Youssef Chermiti. His teams were wonderful to watch in full swing, but often lacked killer instinct in and around the opposition box.
The final piece of the Amorim puzzle would come via Coventry with Sweden international Gyokeres joining the club for a fee just in excess of £20m. Sporting are bound to quadruple their money (at least!) with the Swede in 2025.
Gyokeres has been unstoppable in Lisbon, with his demonic channel and supreme athleticism seeing Amorim evolve his athletic team into a much more direct unit. Gyokeres’ goals inspired Sporting in Liga Portugal last season, with the 26-year-old scoring 57 goals in 64 appearances for the club.
The former Championship star has caught the eye of Europe’s elite, and Amorim may tempt Gyokeres, who already have a number of Premier League suitors, to the Theater of Dreams. However, the Portuguese manager may fancy his chances of developing youngster Rasmus Hojlund into a player of Gyokeres stature to save INEOS some cash. Hojlund is similar stylistically and able to thrive under Amorim’s tutelage.
