Manchester United’s transfer pursuit of one midfielder next summer will heavily depend on whether Ruben Amorim remains at the club.
Manchester United have endured a challenging start to the season, with much of their difficulty rooted in an ongoing lack of structure in midfield.
Although the summer transfer window brought notable additions in Benjamin Šeško and Bryan Mbeumo, the club fell short of properly strengthening the central areas of the pitch.
Bruno Fernandes and Casemiro remain the established starters, with Manuel Ugarte and Kobbie Mainoo providing support, yet it’s evident that further quality and depth are required.
United plan to address the issue next year, with Carlos Baleba identified as their primary target, though several alternative midfield options are also under consideration.
United’s pursuit of Hjulmand ‘heavily depends’ on Amorim’s future
Baleba will be a sought-after player when the transfer window opens next summer which means that there will be no guarantee that United land his signature.
The Reds have been linked with other midfielders, including Sporting star Morten Hjulmand, who had a £68 million release clause last summer.
That clause has reportedly expired now and some reports suggest that the Danish international could be worth around £52 million next summer, and United could be in the race to sign him.
But according to respected journalist Gianluca Di Marzio, United’s pursuit of Hjulmand will largely hinge on the future of Ruben Amorim at the club.
Amorim worked with the 26-year-old midfielder at Sporting and the now-United boss named him as captain, showcasing just how much he rates the player.
But even though Sir Jim Ratcliffe has publicly backed his manager, Amorim’s future at United is not guaranteed and he will inevitably be in danger of the sack if results do not improve in the coming months.
United need to finally get a real defensive midfielder
United have signed several midfielders in recent years but none of them have been true defensive midfielders. Casemiro and Ugarte are both at their best when they have the licence to go forward and are not the best at sitting in that position.
The last proper defensive midfielder the club had was Nemanja Matic and the next midfield signing should really be someone who can operate in that role to a high level.
They do not need to be someone who drives all over the pitch, even though Amorim values athleticism heavily in his team. Having someone who can dictate the tempo of the game while protecting the backline would be an important addition for United.
Whether or not that player could be Hjulmand remains to be seen, and it does seem unlikely that United move for the Dane ahead of some of the other options that could be on the market next summer.
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