Ruben Amorim has an ironic £31m Manchester United headache no one was expecting

Manchester United’s new head coach Ruben Amorim has an ironic £31 million headache that no one was expecting in the summer.

Ruben Amorim started his role at Manchester United at the beginning of last week and is preparing for his first game in charge next weekend.

United will face Ipswich Town in the Premier League ahead of a busy winter schedule which involves tough games against the likes of Manchester City and Arsenal.

Currently 13th in the table, Amorim will be hoping to elevate the team in terms of playstyle and position. Only four points separate them from the top four.

Amorim is expected to assess the current squad and figure out what his best team is as important months approach the team in the Premier League and in cup competitions.

Diogo Dalot was the club’s Player of the Year last term, being one of the consistent players in an inconsistent squad.

After joining the club for £19 million from Porto in the summer of 2018, there had been ups and downs before Dalot secured his place in the team.

When Noussair Mazraoui was signed from Bayern Munich in the summer for around £12 million, many were expecting him to provide solid cover for the Portuguese fullback.

But now, as Amorim comes into the building, there is a clear headache that he will have when deciding who starts as his wingbacks.

Ideally, he will be able to field a left-sided specialist with both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia close to returning from injury.

That would leave a decision between Dalot and Mazraoui on the right, and it is a tougher decision than most other places on the field.

Both players have their individual strengths – Dalot would certainly be more durable in the wingback role, but Mazraoui oozes quality on the ball and has a better final ball than his teammate.

It is quite ironic to think that, in an era of the club overspending on countless amounts of players, it is two who cost a combined £31 million that will cause the new boss one of his biggest initial headache. And it’s a good headache to have.

Ultimately, both defenders could have key roles under Amorim – and it is even possible that one is used in the back three at some points – but it will definitely be a tough decision for the head coach when he has to decide who is his number one choice.

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