Rúben Amorim reportedly has “big plans” for one of his Manchester United stars next season as the club reshape their attacking line ahead of next season.
Manchester United are closing in on their second signing of the summer, with a deal for Brentford’s Bryan Mbeumo nearing completion.
Rúben Amorim is keen to add further firepower to his attack following the arrival of Matheus Cunha earlier this month, though negotiations for Mbeumo have been far from straightforward.
United had an opening £55 million bid for the 25-year-old turned down at the start of June, but returned earlier this week with an improved offer worth over £60 million, which they hope will be accepted.
Should Mbeumo complete his move to Old Trafford, United will turn their attention to player sales and the pursuit of a new striker and midfielder ahead of the Premier League’s mid-August kick-off.
United orchestrating attacking revolution under Amorim
Since Amorim’s appointment in November 2024, it has been a rocky time at Old Trafford, with one significant and raging debate being the head coach’s 3-4-3 formation.
United have played with two wide players, a lone striker, and four defenders across the last decade, but under Amorim, the club’s wide players are the wing-backs, with the wingers playing an inside forward role while a lone striker remains up top.
The signings of Cunha and Mbeumo suit this attacking front three very well, and Amorim wants a fast and powerful goalscorer up top, hence the links to Liam Delap, Viktor Gyökeres, and Hugo Ekitike, among others.
It’s expected that whoever is signed as the new striker will become the first-choice and will battle with Joshua Zirkzee and Højlund for the position.
Amorim has big plans for Zirkzee next season
While Højlund’s only realistic position at the club is the centre-forward slot, Zirkzee’s future at United is a little more complex due to his versatility.
The 23-year-old played as a striker and in both inside forward roles under Amorim last season, and was arguably more effective in the deeper positions due to his excellent first touch and desire to link up with his teammates.
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According to talkSPORT, Amorim has “bigger plans” for Zirkzee next season compared to Højlund, with the United head coach a fan of the Dutch forward. United signed the pair for a combined £108 million across the 2023 and 2024 summer transfer windows.
With Mbeumo and Cunha players who excel across the front line, there is a real opportunity for Amorim to create a very fluid front there with the incoming pair and Zirkzee all very diverse profiles.
Amorim is said to be keen to keep Zirkzee at Old Trafford ahead of next season. With Cunha and the Dutch striker certainly available from the first day of pre-season and Mbeumo hopefully joining the pair at Carrington, Amorim has sufficient time to develop the trio and relaunch Zirkzee at Old Trafford in 2025/26.
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