Internal conflict at Man Utd? Why striker pursuit could spell the first Vivell-Amorim rift

There could be hot days in store at Carrington, as Ruben Amorim and Christopher Vivell seemingly disagree over the identity of the next Manchester United striker.

The club’s manager and the head of recruitment have been on the same page thus far, with no disagreements recorded, or at least leaked to the media.

The Red Devils have Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo so far this summer, with no fuss being made over either deal, albeit Man Utd’s sporting director, Jason Wilcox, was mostly credited with both recruitments.

Nevertheless, Amorim and Vivell apparently have different visions regarding the centre-forward role.

Christopher Vivell & Ruben Amorim disagree on striker pursuit

While both men agree that the team requires an upgrade on Rasmus Hojlund, Farrell Keeling from CaughtOffside reveals that Vivell is the architect behind Man Utd’s newly-launched onslaught for Benjamin Sesko, while Amorim would have preferred someone who boasts Premier League experience, particularly Ollie Watkins.

This report further confirms what has been circulating in the media in this regard, with Vivell choosing to sign RB Leipzig’s 22-year-old Slovenian at the expense of the Aston Villa star, with Amorim not entirely sold on the idea.

It has also been reported that Sesko has given his clear preference to Man Utd, despite receiving an offer from Newcastle, who would grant him the opportunity to play in the Champions League next season.

The first signs of friction at Man Utd?

Vivell’s tendency to sign players from the Bundesliga is understandable. After all, the Man Utd official is German and had previous spells at RB Leipzig and RB Salzburg, making him familiar with Sesko’s credentials.

Nevertheless, Amorim’s views should be respected, and if he feels that Watkins would be the more appropriate profile to lead the charge for the Red Devils, the management should at least make a serious attempt to sign the 29-year-old England international; otherwise, this could plant the seeds for an internal conflict at the club.

We’ve seen internal rifts in the past caused by the signing of players who weren’t entirely approved by the manager, especially when they fail to smoothly adapt to the latter’s playing system.