BREAKING NEWS: Manchester United lineup seven first team players for sale by January,Six incoming confirmed as Sir Ratcliffe releases yet another £400m for January transfer
Manchester United’s statement Premier League victory over the Chelsea highlighted that maybe the only thing preventing Ruben Amorim being successful in the dugout at Old Trafford was having to coach with the same number of players as the opposition.
The 2-1 win was just Amorim’s fifth triumph in the Premier League excluding games against newly promoted sides, and at least temporarily eases the pressure on the 40-year-old after he appeared to be on the edge both psychologically and employment-wise in the wake of that unforgivable defeat to Grimsby.
And while Amorim’s eccentric press conferences do invite sympathy, Manchester United’s problems this season at least on the pitch are almost entirely down to the manager.
Having struggled last season with ill-fitted central midfielders and wing-backs while Bruno Fernandes and Amad Diallo starred as Amorim’s two number 10s, Manchester United splashed 60% of their summer spend on replacing their best players and shoving them out of position into the previous problem areas of the pitch.
The results have been predictable – when playing against 11 men, Amorim’s side have struggled with build-up play as their best creator sits deeper and Fernandes’ understandable dearth of defensive instincts have meant they’ve been caught out by late runners into the penalty area.
Though Manchester United sit on the same points tally as their cross-city rivals, the gulf in class between the sides was clear for all to see in the Manchester derby and they’re only some generous officiating at Fulham and a 97th-minute penalty against Burnley away from languishing in joint-17th.
While Amorim’s reign in Manchester has coincided with a supposed period of austerity with Sir Jim Ratcliffe controlling the purse strings and firing more people than fellow knight of the realm Alan Sugar, the Red Devils have still spent more than the GDP of five countries under the Sporting boss, doesn’t cast the best light on his record of 19 wins and 20 defeats in 48 matches.
However, the most obvious way to solve the problem of an ill-fitting formation is sign players better suited to the squad and that’s what Manchester United will need to do in January, so we asked Grok to predict their winter arrivals and departures.
Manchester United upgrade dire needs in January
Joao Neves – £55 million from Paris Saint-Germain – signing the Ballon d’Or nominee would be a major coup for Manchester United, after they missed out on him when he was tearing it up for Benfica in 2024.
Neves took Enzo Fernandez’s place in the Eagles’ starting XI after his record-breaking move to Chelsea and immediately impressed before PSG snapped him up for a potential £60m, and it seems unlikely that they’d be willing to make a loss on the player especially given his transfer value has increased by 33% since that move.
However, Neves has only started three games for Luis Enrique this season and his sterling credentials as a deep-lying playmaker would transform the Red Devils.
Federico Dimarco – £45m from Inter Milan – This would force Patrick Dorgu to switch to the right flank, a position he has played before, but would be another important piece in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 puzzle.
Inter have been arguably the most successful back three side in Europe this decade and Dimarco has been an absolutely integral to that, notching 35 assists and scoring 19 times since making his Nerrazzuri debut in 2021.
Inter’s defence has been ranked first, second, third and sixth in Serie A across those four seasons as Dimarco as he’s reached two Champions League finals and won two Coppa Italias and Serie A, while now aged 27 he should be bang in his prime.
Carlos Baleba – £115 million from Brighton – A name Manchester United fans are familiar with, Baleba has had a quiet start to the season after Brighton quoted a nine-figure price tag for him in the summer.
But the 21-year-old is both a destructive presence in midfield and a creative threat who would dovetail well with Neves in a revamped pairing.
Real Madrid legend headlines departures
Casemiro – £15m to Al-Nassr – With such heavy reinforcement to Manchester United’s central midfield, Casemiro would surely be surplus to requirements at Old Trafford.
His advanced age and high wages on a contract that expires in 2026, the Red Devils will want to cash in but retirement home leagues would surely be the only suitors.
With the Saudi Pro League’s cap on eight foreign players aged over 21, Al-Nassr would either need a rule change (which the government has done before to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo) or jettison one of their current stars like Marcelo Brozovic, Kingsley Coman, Sadio Mane or Inigo Martinez.
Harry Maguire – £8m to West Ham – Manchester United have finally moved on from Slabhead, who’s set to clock his second-fewest Premier League minutes since 2015/16 this campaign.
However, he’d be a good fit at West Ham who have conceded a remarkable seven goals from set-pieces in just five games this season – four more than the next worst team, and the Hammers will be willing to overspend to try and avoid relegation.
Tyrell Malacia – £10m to Fulham – This would make United’s net spend a cool £182m in January, and once again it’s a move that makes sense for all parties. Despite doing no outfield transfer business in the summer transfer window until August 29, Fulham sit in eighth but could do with adding rotation options who possess Premier League experience.
AI-predicted 2026 Manchester starting XI: Sticking with Amorim’s not-so-trusty 3-4-2-1, Grok picked this starting side for Manchester United after the January transfer window closes: Lammens; Yoro, De Ligt, Shaw; Dorgu, Neves, Baleba, Dimarco; Mbeumo, Cunha; Sesko.
