Bruno Fernandes told Ruben Amorim his biggest transfer priority after Newcastle loss, Ineos need to act fast

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Manchester United have confirmed that they will finish with their worst-ever points total in Premier League history with their latest defeat.

This one came at a ground that hasn’t been kind to them at their best, so this rotated team with one eye on Thursday stood no chance.

That is what transpired at Newcastle brushed aside Man Utd 4-1 which will leave Ruben Amorim with more questions than answers.

One answer that he has been given is by Bruno Fernandes, who told Amorim his top transfer priority in the summer in a throwaway statement.

Bruno Fernandes identifies Man Utd problem

Firstly, it goes without saying that a Man Utd squad set to finish in the bottom half of the table for the first time in the Premier League has more than a few problems.

Still, there’s a need to prioritise, and that is where Fernandes’ words should ring loud and clear in Amorim and Ineos‘ ears.

Speaking to the reporters after the Newcastle loss, Fernandes identified the major problem at United and it’s one not always starkly visible – like a striker missing chances or a goalkeeper making mistakes.

He said that United struggled to break lines in the midfielder, leaving them vulnerable to Newcastle’s intense press from which mistakes were borne.

He said: “In the second half, we could not play as much as we wanted because we couldn’t break the lines against their man-marking. We didn’t do it well enough, and the goals are from our mistakes.”

Man Utd’s ideal transfer targets

United prioritised a striker in the market and the urgency to address the goalkeeping situation is ever-increasing now that Altay Bayindir has refused to make that position his own.

However, connecting the defence with the attack can be a systematic masterstroke that can fix both those problems without addressing them directly.

With a progressive midfielder, United will be able to recycle possession better, leaving the goalkeeper with less to do.

At the same time, the striker won’t feel as isolated with a functional midfield, and the team can attack and defend as 11 instead of the striker feeling like he’s been dropped at the top of a dysfunctional mess.

Somebody like Chris Rigg or Morten Hjulmand can knit the attack and defence together, even though the latter is more defensive.

Either way, an injection in quality is needed in the middle of the park and everyone might be surprised by just how much difference that can make to the whole side. Fernandes’ footballing IQ is top-notch.