Manchester United’s new head coach Ruben Amorim has already revealed that he will be rotating his quad heavily in such a congested period so lots of changes are expected from game to game.
In his first match against Ipswich Town, the Portuguese started with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in the middle of the park. The experienced duo struggled to adjust to his demands and thus, Amorim changed things for the Bodo/Glimt match.
On Thursday, the Red Devils fielded Manuel Ugarte and Bruno Fernandes in the middle of the park as the team registered their first win under the new coach.
Whether the Dane and Brazilian make a return for the Everton game remains to be seen, but the former Tottenham Hotspur star’s future seems to lie away from Old Trafford.
Eriksen to leave
He has enjoyed a fine personal campaign thus far, starting 10 times already as opposed to only 14 starts in the whole of last season, while the Danish star has also scored four goals and provided three assists.
The club are yet to offer him a new deal with his current contract ending next summer despite his improved form and regular minutes this season.
There is plenty of interest from Celtic and Turkey just to name a few and a January exit is possible with the ex-Sporting Lisbon coach open to his departure.
🚨🔴 The current and clear trend is that Christian #Eriksen’s contract will not be extended after the season. #MUFC
The 32-year-old is therefore likely to leave on a free transfer in the summer at the latest. Meanwhile, Manchester United are working intensively on securing new… pic.twitter.com/VqyJ1KjrWd
— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) November 30, 2024
As per Sky Germany‘s Florian Plettenberg, Eriksen is unlikely to receive a new deal at the club with Amorim directing INEOS to target two midfield reinforcements when the window opens. He wants one to play in a deep-lying position while other can play further forward.
“The current and clear trend is that Christian Eriksen’s contract will not be extended after the season,” Plettenberg wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
Amorim wants two midfielders
“The 32-year-old is therefore likely to leave on a free transfer in the summer at the latest. Meanwhile, Manchester United are working intensively on securing new midfield signings, targeting both the No. 6/8 and No. 10 positions.”
Casemiro is another whose stay is likely to end soon and it will be interesting to see the profiles that the new co-owners target.
As for the No 10 position, the Red Devils arguably boast of a very strong core with the club captain, Mason Mount and Amad Diallo capable of playing there. But Amorim clearly has other ideas.
However, INEOS have already relayed that a January splurge is unlikely and moving forward, the transfer war chest is expected to be limited and Amorim must try and work with the players currently at his disposal.
Feature image Stephen Pond via Getty Images
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Ayantan Chowdhury
Ayantan has worked for 10 years in the Indian sports media industry, writing for the biggest newspapers and websites but his heart was always set on writing about his favourite club. Currently an editor at The Peoples Person. You can follow him on X: @ayantanc_25
