Manchester United are running the risk of Ruben Amorim walking out on the club unless INEOS change their approach to transfers. It has been a mixed summer window at Old Trafford, with the Red Devils strengthening their squad in several positions. Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo, Benjamin Sesko and Diego Leon have all joined the club since the end of last season.
There is still plenty of work to be done, though, with United yet to address two key areas. They have struggled to recruit a new central midfielder, having reportedly pulled the plug on their efforts to sign Carlos Baleba. He is believed to be keen on moving to Old Trafford but Brighton are said to be holding out for a nine-figure transfer fee, making a deal unlikely as things stand.
United have also failed to sign a new goalkeeper with Andre Onana not good enough to justify being their first-choice stopper. He made a string of crucial errors last season and was dropped in last weekend’s Premier League opener against Arsenal.
It is clear that United are in desperate need of a quality goalkeeper but, so far, nothing has materialised. They were linked with Emiliano Martinez earlier in the window but the move fell flat despite the Red Devils exploring the possibility of a switch.
According to TyC Sports, a deal was close with Amorim insisting that Martinez was the player he wanted. However, the move was said to have been vetoed by INEOS, who could not be convinced that it was important to splash out on a top-class goalkeeper.
That decision could come back to haunt United in more ways than one. If they fail to sign a new shot-stopper before the end of the window, they will be stuck with Onana which will almost certainly dent their ambitions of a top-six finish in the Premier League.
INEOS refusing to listen to Amorim also sets a dangerous precedent for the future. If he does not get the players he truly believes would excel under his style of play, it could be a recipe for disaster.
They should go and get the players their manager wants, even if that means overlooking the views of suits in the boardroom. If they keep ignoring his demands, who is to say that he won’t get frustrated and quit United further down the line?
It is not the first time that Amorim’s opinions have been brushed aside this window. Earlier this summer, it was reported that he wanted to sign Ollie Watkins to lead the line in attack, but United ended up landing Sesko.
Their head of recruitment Christopher Vivell was said to have been the driving force behind that move, having worked with Sesko during his time at Red Bull Salzburg.
But at the end of the day, the buck will stop with Amorim if his players fail to perform. If he gets fed up with being overlooked when it comes to transfer targets, he could hardly be blamed for walking away and joining a club where he feels more valued.
Only time will tell how United decide to approach the rest of the window. What is certain is the decisions they make now will determine their season and, ultimately, the future of their manager one way or another.
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