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Man Utd Dream Transfer Window Scenario
Ruben Amorim was seemingly walking on a tightrope heading into the summer after a torrid first season at the helm of Manchester United as their Premier League woes (finishing 15th with a -10 goal difference) hung a dark cloud over the fact they reached a Europa League final. In Bilbao, the Red Devils lost 1-0 to Tottenham Hotspur, but Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his INEOS-led team have stuck by the former Sporting CP head coach.
Amorim was handed a war chest to freshen up his attacking ranks in the summer, a period that saw the likes of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Rasmus Hojlund all leave, though the former triumvirate on a temporary basis. There was little movement in the midfield department, though, and it’s an area that needs to be looked at.
But, from potential big-money incomings to in-house futures that need to be addressed sooner rather than later, what could the January transfer window hold for the 20-time champions of England? In an attempt to iron out the issues at the Theatre of Dreams, GIVEMESPORT have taken a look at the Old Trafford club’s dream transfer window scenario.
Loan or Stay? Kobbie Mainoo Future to Be Sorted
Simply, Kobbie Mainoo‘s situation is a precarious one. Amorim claims the Euro 2024 finalist is in direct competition with skipper Bruno Fernandes – hence his lack of minutes over the course of the 2025/26 season – and that he needs to prove why he should be a regular starter. The fans disagree, though, and believe that Mainoo should be instrumental between now and when he hangs up his boots in the future.
Both sides of the coin are easy to understand. Albeit immensely talented, the Englishman is still in the infancy of his career at just 20 years of age, and he shouldn’t just be thrown into proceedings if the manager believes he isn’t ready. January, therefore, serves as an important time to settle any doubts over his long-term future.
Mainoo, commonly admired as one of the best young talents on the planet, expressed his desire for a loan move in the summer, but the club denied his chance for extra minutes away from Old Trafford… but will his future be re-visited in the winter months?
Not the most ideal situation, of course, but loaning the youngster out would allow him to continue developing in what is viewed as a pivotal stage of his career. If he was to perform and Amorim still doesn’t see him as a player in his plans, a string of decent performances – which fans have seen from the academy graduate for club and country – could increase his price for a permanent move away.
Elliot Anderson Added to Midfield Ranks, Bruno Fernandes MUST Stay
Despite Casemiro rolling back the years of late, central midfield is an area in need of desperate improvement. It has been since Michael Carrick’s retirement in 2018, in truth, and Nottingham Forest ace Elliot Anderson could be the perfect antidote for Amorim and his entourage. They missed out on the signature of Declan Rice during Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s stewardship, but they need to make sure that it’s not a similar situation with the 23-year-old Englishman.
Anderson, formerly of Newcastle United, would not come cheap though and all suitors (United included) are fully aware that he could cost north of £100million. He’s become his difference-maker in the midfield, and it’s about time that Amorim’s men joined the collection of sides with a big-money midfielder – step forward Anderson, who has played his way into Thomas Tuchel’s England plans.
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Another way to ensure that all members of the Old Trafford faithful are kept happy is to retain the services of Bruno Fernandes, United’s perennial talisman since his arrival in January 2020. With his future in doubt on the back of his eye-opening comments regarding the situation over the summer months, losing him in January – regardless of how unlikely that is – would certainly de-rail the club’s push for European football.
A New Face in the Centre-Forward Department To Serve as Benjamin Sesko Back-Up
Benjamin Sesko may have all the makings of a brilliant centre-forward, but things haven’t started so sweetly in the Premier League. With his confidence knocked and injuries hampering his development, it would be wise for Amorim and company to find a reliable back-up to the Slovenian, who moved from RB Leipzig in the summer to replace the on-loan Rasmus Hojlund.
The Danish youngster’s temporary departure to Napoli, which is expected to become permanent in the summer, means that United are now shortchanged in the striker department and in the absence of Sesko, the likes of Cunha, Mount and Fernandes have all been trusted to lead the line at different points.
That, of course, could be seen as unsustainable if United are to compete for a European spot this season and buying (or loaning, dependent on a number of variables) would help them on their way. We know the club have not been afraid to empty their pockets on shiny new strikers in the past, but they’ve also been accustomed to searching the loan market – think Wout Weghorst and Odion Ighalo.
As we’ve witnessed in the past, time waits for no man at Old Trafford and signing a new striker would help ease the burden off the shoulders of Sesko, who is yet to return on his initial promise. It’s ever-so tricky for young centre-forwards to hit the ground running at such a fruitful club and there isn’t a soul on earth that would suggest that United don’t need back-up.
