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Amorim oversaw a transition to his preferred 3-4-2-1 style, a system that highlighted some major flaws in United’s squad building over the past decade.

Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko headlined the club’s marquee forward line overhaul, with Cunha and Mbeumo impressing on their Manchester United debuts in the 1-0 loss to Arsenal on the opening weekend of the Premier League season.

The match brought a lot of answers for Amorim’s new squad but also delivered some of the same old questions, like the conundrum in goal, as Altay Bayindir’s mistake led to Arsenal taking the lead.

While the goalkeeper situation could be looked at, the hole in the centre of midfield seems like a more glaring need and an area where further invest would reap a more substantial reward as the club battles with restricted finances.

Reports have linked the Red Devils to a move for Sevilla’s holding midfielder Lucien Agoume, who would add a robust, front-footed defensive quality to United’s midfield, while also possessing promising passing abilities.

Meanwhile, the club are also inevitably linked to Amorim’s former midfield metronome, Morten Hjulmand, who could reunite with his former Sporting boss and play a role he’s familiar with in this system, while Atalanta’s evergreen Ederson has also been reported as an option.

When Amorim first arrived and switched to his preferred formation the biggest flaw that was exposed in his squad was the abject physical and athletic qualities that Erik Ten Hag left behind at Old Trafford.

Casemiro isn’t the all-action defensive midfielder he was in his prime, Kobbie Mainoo still needs to develop and Manuel Ugarte lacks the technical qualities that are important in a midfield pairing.

In an attempt to increase the ball progression qualities of United’s midfield, Amorim has opted to drop Bruno Fernandes deeper into the midfield two, and Mason Mount’s performance against Arsenal will give Amorim encouragement that he can use the 26-year-old in that area of the pitch too.



Current midfield optionsPotential midfield targetsBruno FernandesCarlos Baleba (Brighton)Mason MountEderson (Atalanta)Kobbie MainooLucien Agoume (Sevilla)Manuel UgarteMorten Hjulmand (Sporting CP)CasemiroAdam Wharton (Crystal Palace)A breakdown of Manchester United’s current midfield options vs potential targets

Yet, defensively the midfield lacks profile who can cover space and tackle hard, and if United could secure a player like that, it would unlock a new dynamic for a team who currently seem tentative to push bodies forwards with the fear of being caught in defensive transitions playing on their minds.

Perhaps player sales need to happen first to facilitate a move, but should Amorim get his man, we could see a new evolution in the way this United side play, adding a new robustness and energy to a squad that’s still light in midfield areas.

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