Manchester United have been given a new lease of life and optimism after the appointment of Ruben Amorim from Portuguese side Sporting CP.
Former boss Erik ten Hag was dismissed after United’s woeful start to the new campaign, winning just four wins in all competitions up until the end of October, when the Dutchman received his marching orders.
It comes after the board once again backed the 54-year-old in the transfer market, taking the spending to over £600m since his appointment back in the summer of 2022.
He was unable to secure a consistent challenge for a top-four spot in the Premier League, finishing eighth last season – only achieving qualification for the Europa League after beating rivals Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
Their recruitment over this summer has failed to push them back in the right direction and take them to the next level in the early stages of the campaign.
Manchester United’s summer transfers in 2024
Joshua Zirkzee moved to Old Trafford in a £36.5m transfer from Serie A side Bologna, aiming to add firepower to the Red Devils’ front line.
Up to now, the move has been a failure for the Dutchman, scoring just once, with the goal coming off the bench on his debut outing against Fulham on the opening day.
Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui both arrived in a deal from Bayern Munich, which combined to around £60m with the pair previously featuring together in the backline together at Ajax under Ten Hag’s leadership.
However, only the Moroccan full-back has cemented his place as a regular starter, starting ten of the 11 Premier League outings throughout the 2024/25 season.
Manuel Ugarte will undoubtedly have an increased role under Amorim after their time together at Sporting, but he’s only made three league starts since his £50m transfer from PSG after a summer of rumours.
However, huge promise remains around another one of their summer additions, with the hope that he can transform their backline over the next few years.
Man Utd could have their own £90m talent
Centre-back Leny Yoro had huge interest from major European clubs all throughout the summer after his impressive breakthrough season with Lille in Ligue 1.
The 19-year-old made 44 appearances in all competitions, playing a crucial role in the starting lineup despite his tender age.
However, he would move to United for a deal in the region of £52m, but picked up an ankle issue in pre-season that has restricted him from making a single competitive appearance for the Red Devils.
There still remains a huge amount of promise around the teenager despite his injury issues, especially considering he was likened to Arsenal star William Saliba by FBref for his displays last season.
When delving into their respective stats, the comparison is an understandable one, with Yoro matching or even beating Saliba, who’s been valued at around £90m by CIES Football Observatory.
The “world-class” youngster, as described by talent scout Jacek Kulig, achieved to same pass accuracy, but did average more tackles and interceptions per 90.
How Yoro compares to Saliba for the 2023/24 campaign | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics | Yoro | Saliba |
Games played | 32 | 38 |
Goals & assists | 2 | 3 |
Pass accuracy | 92% | 92% |
Tackles won per 90 | 1.2 | 1.1 |
Interceptions made per 90 | 1.2 | 0.8 |
Aerials won | 64% | 60% |
Stats via FBref | ||
United’s backline has been in desperate need of improvement over the past couple of years, with the hope that Yoro can have a similar impact to that of Saliba at the Emirates.
Amorim will likely utilise his three-back system once again on his arrival to Old Trafford, with the Frenchman having the ability to become a fan-favourite upon his return to action.
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