Amorim's five word verdict on what Man Utd need to do in the transfer market

Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has admitted "we need to sell players" before making signings.

Despite struggling in the bottom half of the Premier League, United’s only addition in the January transfer window was 20-year-old full-back Patrick Dorgu for £25m.

The club has emphasized that its financial position is tight, with over £300m in losses over the past three years, making significant spending difficult.

Beyond the first-team squad, United’s cost-cutting measures continue, with another wave of redundancies expected and the likely closure of the club’s London office.

Ineos, the club’s co-owners, have also attempted to renegotiate their sponsorship deal with the New Zealand All Blacks and have ended their partnership with yachtsman Ben Ainslie.

When asked how these financial constraints would impact the squad overhaul in the summer, Amorim was direct: “It’s simple. To do something, we need to sell players. Our focus now is to win these games. Then we have time to focus on that.”

With Christian Eriksen and Victor Lindelof out of contract at the end of the season and Jadon Sancho expected to finalize a permanent move to Chelsea, the futures of United’s highest earners, Casemiro and Marcus Rashford—who is currently on loan at Aston Villa—remain uncertain.

Amorim’s comments will also raise concerns about whether homegrown talents like Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho could be sold to help the club comply with the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, which will remain in place next season.

United’s struggles haven’t just stemmed from poor recruitment but also from their inability to maximize player performance at Old Trafford.

Scott McTominay, who was never a guaranteed starter at United, has flourished since his £25.7m move to Napoli last August, scoring six goals in 21 Serie A appearances—including three in his last six matches—as Napoli push for the league title.

Meanwhile, Brazilian winger Antony has rediscovered his form at Real Betis, scoring twice in three games since joining on loan—almost matching the four goals he managed in 52 appearances for United since last season.

“This is a club with a lot of pressure,” Amorim acknowledged. “You have to have a base, and at this moment, we don’t have it. But football is like that. When you reach this level, you have to cope with it.”

United are hoping to ease their financial challenges by developing young players for future sales.

Their Under-18 team recently secured a spot in the FA Youth Cup quarter-finals with a dominant 5-1 win over Chelsea, featuring a hat-trick from highly-rated striker Chido Obi.

With injury concerns affecting some first-team players ahead of Sunday’s match against Tottenham, Amorim confirmed that 17-year-old Obi, a former Arsenal academy prospect, had been called into first-team training.

“We have problems this week,” Amorim said. “We called some young players into our training. We have some data evaluation. He is one of them.”

If any club can rival United’s disappointing season, it’s Tottenham. Despite beating United twice this season in the league and EFL Cup and pulling off a stunning win at Manchester City, Spurs still find themselves two points behind, with manager Ange Postecoglou under growing pressure.

Amorim is an admirer of the Australian but dismissed any comparisons between their situations.

“I am a huge fan of Ange Postecoglou,” he said. “He is a good guy and a very good coach. I understand the connection between me and Ange, but with respect, I am at a bigger club.”