Manchester United are set to keep one star at Old Trafford beyond this summer as they look to hand Ruben Amorim a squad capable of challenging in the Premier League, it has been reported.
Man Utd transfer rumours
Despite Amorim’s arrival at the club, it is unlikely that the Red Devils will be too busy in the January transfer window. Currently 13th in the Premier League following their 3-0 loss to Bournemouth, Manchester United spent heavily in the summer window, shelling out £205.9m on five new players.
In recent January windows, they have opted to avoid hefty spending, and given the difficulty of doing deals in January historically, it seems likely that they will largely follow the same model despite Amorim being appointed in November.
Meanwhile, signing players from his former side is off the table. Upon being appointed, Amorim promised not to raid his former club in January, meaning that the chances of signing players to make an immediate impact are lower as a result.
It means that moves for the likes of Viktor Gyokeres is impossible even if United would want to break the bank for him, and while the Red Devils have been consistently linked with players since Amorim’s arrival, sales are likely to be the priority first.
Marcus Rashford has dominated recent headlines, with the forward admitting he wanted a new challenge away from Old Trafford, while both Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof could also leave the club before their contracts end in the summer as the club look to raise funds.
Now though, one player could be set to stay.
Man Utd “monster” set to stay with new deal close
That is according to Football Insider, who point to Manchester United defender Harry Maguire as the player in question.
The England international struggled for game time under Erik ten Hag, but has started both of Amorim’s side’s last two Premier League games, including their derby win over Manchester City.
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After that game, he was hailed as “incredible” and a “monster in the box” by Sky Sports tactical analyst Tom on X, and he appears to have made an impression on Amorim too.
GiveMeSport claim that “Amorim has admired Maguire’s mindset and professionalism since his arrival in the Manchester United hot-seat”, something that has contributed to the U-turn from Amorim over Maguire’s immediate playing time and now future at Old Trafford.
As per Football Insider’s report, the Red Devils are now “likely to trigger” Maguire’s one-year extension, with the defender now “close” to an agreement to extend his £190,000 a week deal at the club.
Speed is of the essence for Manchester United, with Maguire able to discuss a pre-contract with other sides from January 1st as things stand amid interest from Napoli and Leicester City in the one-time £80m man.
Maguire himself admitted that talks had been “really positive” about a new deal. “All the signs are positive at the moment and the chat that I’m having is really positive. I’ve still got this year to go with an option in their hands.”
With the centre-back at his best in a back three, he could emerge as a vital player for Amorim in the short term.
