Excitement is growing around Ruben Amorim’s imminent arrival at Manchester United and speculation has naturally turned towards which players he could sign.
It’s been a whirlwind week at Manchester United as Erik ten Hag was sacked on Monday and it became clear Ruben Amorim was lined up to be his replacement less than 24 hours later.
Ruud van Nistelrooy then guided United to a thrilling 5-2 win over Leicester City in the Carabao Cup in what many thought would be his only game in charge but that isn’t quite the case.
Instead, the Dutchman will have three more games to navigate as Amorim won’t take charge until after the November international break.
Though not as exciting as him being in the hot seat for Sunday’s Premier League fixture against Chelsea, it does mean fans can get more familiar with the new manager by watching Amorim’s Sporting in action as they did for the 3-1 win over Nacional on Tuesday.
Fans are excited by the prospect of the highly-rated – especially by Jose Mourinho – Amorim and by the thought of what signings he could bring to the club.
Amorim’s transfer record at Sporting has been stellar, with the 39-year-old managing to turn several prospects and unearthed gems into international-renowned superstars.
One such player is all-action midfield Morten Hjulmand, who had been heavily linked with a move to Old Trafford long before Amorim was to become manager.
In fact, Paul Parker was desperate for United to sign him last summer.
Paul Parker says Morten Hjulman has ‘precisely’ the skills Utd need
Sporting swooped to sign Hjulmand as a replacement for a certain Manuel Ugarte when the midfielder left for PSG in 2023.
The Dane was only 22 at the time but was already making waves in Serie A at Lecce, where he had become captain despite his young age.
The Lisbon giants paid a steep £20m free for Hjulmand but it has turned out to be a bargain. He was a revelation for Sporting and the beating heart of the side as they went on to lift the league title.
In fact, Hjulmand has such great leadership skills that he skippers Sporting already.
Former United defender Parker likened Hjulmand to Casemiro last summer when he appeared desperate for United to sign him.
Parker said in June, via Football365: “I think he has been incredible. I haven’t seen all his games at Sporting, but I’ve seen a few, and he has just completely dominated.
“He became captain in Serie A at the age of 22, so that speaks of a kid with huge leadership qualities. Those are precisely the leadership qualities that Manchester United could use.
“When I look at him, I see in many ways a younger version of Casemiro, and that’s something Manchester United could really use. He is good with the ball, strong in duels, and he would take a bullet for his teammates. He’s a bit crazy, which is cool.”
Now that his manager is taking over at United, could Hjulmand finally join him?
Should Ruben Amorim sign Morten Hjulmand for Manchester United?
The thought of a United manager coming in and immediately moving to sign players he has previously worked with is quite concerning after the last two years.
Ten Hag’s transfer strategy amounted to signing ex-Ajax prospects, players he had previously worked with elsewhere or just Dutchmen. The signings he insisted on – like Antony and Mason Mount – were one of the darkest marks against his tenure.
But just because it was done to excess and done poorly once doesn’t mean it can’t be done correctly in the future.
Unlike Ten Hag, who never had a clear tactical set-up at United, Amorim has a settled system and developed identity he will look to implement.
Hopefully, he’ll be able to make his tactics work with what’s already available but, in all likelihood, some signings will be needed for things to run smoothly.
In Ugarte, he will already have a midfielder familiar with his system but then, other than Kobbie Mainoo, United are weak on midfield options.
The likes of Casemiro and Christian Eriksen are coming to the end of their careers while Mount is perpetually sidelined.
A midfielder with real quality on the ball and a wide passing range will be required and Hjulmand – as well as his captain credentials – would provide just that.
Receive a digest of our best United content each week direct to your mailbox
