At a time when many are wondering whether Manchester United is in a relegation fight, the team is in complete disarray as 2025 begins and is in dire need of reinforcements during the January transfer window to help Ruben Amorim turn around their sinking ship.
After four consecutive losses that demonstrated to Ruben Amorim exactly what he committed himself to, Manchester United entered 2025 in a funk.
The derby victory over Manchester City feels like a dream because United has lost their last three games and Amorim has only won four of his first 11 games as manager. In a perfect scenario, the 39-year-old manager would have preferred to start in the summer, when he would have had a preseason and a transfer window to assemble his team.
He is currently attempting to turn things around with games coming thick and fast, but that was never going to happen because United made it obvious that it was now or never. It has become abundantly clear over the last several weeks that some of the players he acquired from Erik ten Hag just do not meet the necessary standards.
Marcus Rashford is the first player Amorim is eager to let go of during the January transfer window, but he would also love to add some new players. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s cost-cutting efforts and strict profit and sustainability regulations may make that challenging, but United supporters have hope.
Change in defence
Amorim’s left defence, where Tyrell Malacia and Luke Shaw have both struggled to remain healthy enough to play in his preferred 3-4-3 formation, has been one of his most noticeable problems thus far. The team is now unbalanced as a result of Diogo Dalot, who is right-footed, playing on the wrong side.
The Portuguese manager is focused on acquiring a left-footed player with the stamina to move up and down the pitch and play both defence and attack. Alphonso Davies’ contract with Bayern Munich expires in June, and he has been the subject of intense transfer interest from teams like Real Madrid and United.
Rashford’s suspension makes it obvious that United needs more players up front as they haven’t scored in their last three games. Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund are both young and erratic, making them better suited for supporting duties.
However, Zirkzee, who was jeered when he was substituted in the first half against Newcastle, may even go, as Juventus is eager to get him back to Serie A right away.