Rúben Amorim looks set to change one Manchester United star’s position next season, and it creates the perfect role for Matheus Cunha.
Rúben Amorim admitted last week that he and the Manchester United board have already begun planning and preparing for the 2025/26 campaign.
While the 2024/25 campaign is yet to finish, United are looking ahead to the summer and who they could sign to bolster Amorim’s squad over the next few months.
It has been well established that United are looking to bring in a new striker, with Liam Delap currently the favourite, while the club is also said to be advancing a deal for Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Matheus Cunha.
United are waiting to see if the club qualify for the Champions League next season through winning the Europa League before making further decisions on who they can or cannot sign, with winning the competition coming with an extra £85 million in revenue.
Amorim set to consider Fernandes position change
While much of the current planning revolves around which players United can buy and sell this summer, Amorim is reportedly keeping an eye on potential position changes next summer.
Bruno Fernandes has played almost every midfield and forward role at United since Amorim joined the club, but a new report from the Manchester Evening News suggests that the club captain is set to find a more permanent place in the starting XI next season.
Amid the potential purchase of Cunha, it is mentioned that Fernandes very well may switch to a permanent deeper role from the next campaign onwards.
While Fernandes is a fantastic player all over the field, his performances playing deeper with a license to get forward and roam somewhat freely in the centre of the park have been game-changing for United at times.
Fernandes change unlocks Cunha’s perfect role
Beyond Fernandes performing well individually in a deeper position, the change for the Portuguese international could create the perfect role for Cunha to join Old Trafford and thrive where he is needed.
The potential £62.5 million signing currently starts in the left creative position of a front three for Wolves, which is exactly where he would start at United, too.
Amorim wants one of the two creative positions behind the striker to be a “specialist playmaker” to occupy one of the roles behind the striker. With Fernandes deeper, this allows Delap or any other striker at United to have multiple players behind him who can both create for him and score for themselves.
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While Cunha has shown himself to be a solid goalscorer this season, he has also shown a good level of creativity, creating 46 chances for Wolves in the Premier League. For comparison, Fernandes and Chelsea’s Cole Palmer top that chart with 76 created chances apiece.
Should Delap sign, he would have two creative players also capable of scoring themselves behind him in Cunha and Amad, which would be perfect for the Brazilian. Fernandes occupying that deeper role would allow the Portuguese Magnifico to feed the front three as well as the wing-backs.
Casemiro, or whichever defensive player Amorim chooses to sign this summer, would then be able to perform a midfield general role, marshalling the back line, providing Amorim’s team with a wide range of talent across the spine of his starting XI.
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