Manchester United legend Steve Bruce has praised Rúben Amorim for three big calls he’s made at Old Trafford amid major changes to their front line.
Manchester United have played ten Premier League matches this season and, despite some difficult moments, remain well within the chase for European qualification.
Rúben Amorim has been clear about the club’s ambition to return to European competition, which requires a top-six finish. Although United currently sit eighth in the table, they are only two points behind Manchester City in second and level on points with Tottenham in sixth.
United have won five of their ten games, drawing two and losing three. With nearly every team besides Arsenal struggling for consistency, there is still plenty to play for as the season unfolds.
Amorim’s team have delivered several excellent performances but mixed them with costly individual errors, highlighting both promise and room for improvement.
Bruce praises Amorim for three transfers
United’s summer was mainly spent overhauling their front line, with several attackers departing and the club committing over £200 million to the recruitment of Benjamin Šeško, Matheus Cunha, and Bryan Mbeumo.
As for the exits, Marcus Rashford, Rasmus Højlund, Alejandro Garnacho, Jadon Sancho, and Antony all departed either permanently or on loan, with many agreeing that the latter four needed to be moved on, whereas Rashford’s move to Barcelona was much more divisive.
However, former United centre-back and club legend Steve Bruce has backed Amorim on three of these decisions, explaining that he feels the ‘big calls’ to remove Rashford, Garnacho, and Antony from the group were reminiscent of Mikel Arteta’s initial summers at Arsenal.
“To be fair to him, he [Amorim] has made some big calls,” Bruce told talkSPORT.
“A bit like Arteta. I mean, the Rashford situation, the Garnacho situation and Antony. He’s made a big call and got the ones he wants to get in. There are signs of recovery. We all want him to do well.
“I think everybody likes him. I think he’s a really genuine guy. He’s obviously got strong beliefs because the whole football world was craving for him to change, but he stuck with it.”
Garnacho joined Chelsea for £40 million, while Antony departed to Real Betis for £21.5 million, including a 50% sell-on clause. Additionally, Rashford’s loan at Barcelona includes an option to buy for £26 million, which could earn the club up to £87.5 million across all three transfers.
United still need XI overhaul
While the front line is now mostly sorted for United with players who are either good enough now or will be to carry the weight of the club’s attacking hammer, the defensive side still needs overhauling.
After spending heavily on attacking talent last summer, United are now expected to prioritise defensive reinforcements in the next two transfer windows to tighten things up at the back.
The defence has shown signs of improvement since goalkeeper Senne Lammens was introduced, with the goalkeeper picking up three wins and a draw in his first four appearances, but there is still plenty of work to be done.
Casemiro has been a key figure this season, though his contract expires in the summer, and even if he stays, his minutes are likely to decrease — meaning a new defensive midfielder will be near the top of United’s wishlist.
Harry Maguire’s contract runs until June 2026, while Luke Shaw’s expires a year later. Amorim is expected to target experienced, quick, and technically capable defenders as he continues to rebuild his squad over the next few windows.
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