Ruben Amorim has suggested he cannot produce his preferred style of play at Manchester United because he cannot sign the right players, but was not keen to expand on that point.
The Red Devils spent around £216m over the summer of 2025 as they brought in the likes of Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Benjamin Sesko and Senne Lammens.
Those arrivals have brought mixed results, with the Red Devils currently sixth in the Premier League table, and it sounds like Amorim would like to bring in more players.
The Portuguese wants to play 3-4-3, which he has tried to do largely unsuccessfully with Manchester United, and he now believes he will have to move away from that plan because he cannot sign the players he needs for his favourite system.
The manager suggested that this has been news to him since arriving at the club.
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Speaking on Christmas Eve, Amorim said: ‘We can play a different way to take more quality from these players because I have the feeling that if we have to play a perfect 3-4-3 we need to spend a lot of money and need time. I’m starting to understand that is not going to happen so maybe I have to adapt.’
Amorim was asked about those comments again ahead of Manchester United’s trip to Leeds United on Sunday, but did not want to go into it.
‘I don’t want to talk about that. I just focus on the Leeds game,’ he said at a press conference.
Pushed on whether he regretted making the statement, he said: ‘No, no, no. But I don’t want to talk about it.’
The Red Devils boss was then asked if anything has changed in the club’s transfer plans, or at least how he understood them.
Cryptically he replied: ‘I don’t want to talk about that…You are very smart, so…’
January transfer plans
According to Amorim, Manchester United fans should certainly not expect any arrivals in the January transfer window.
‘The transfer window is not going to change,’ Amorim said ahead of United’s 12.30pm trip to Elland Road.
‘We have no conversations in this moment to have any change in the squad. There is a process, there is an idea. That is going to continue.
‘We are near the places of the Champions League but we are near also eight teams behind us, so let’s focus on the next game, just that.’
If the Red Devils can win at Leeds on Sunday afternoon then they will climb to fourth in the Premier League table, at least until the remaining fixtures later in the day.