Ruben Amorim can truly unlock puzzle behind Man Utd signing that was ‘driven by Dan Ashworth and the recruitment team’

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Ruben Amorim could be the ‘right’ man to fix the problem behind one Manchester United signing that Dan Ashworth made as sporting director at Old Trafford.

The 40-year-old Manchester United manager has been left to pick up the pieces of the Red Devils’ 2024-25 campaign after his arrival from Sporting CP in 2024.

Erik ten Hag was sacked as United boss last October after a shocking start to the 2024-25 Premier League season and Ruben Amorim replaced him last November.

Amorim has inherited former United manager Erik ten Hag’s first-team squad and has wasted no time trying to implement his tactical system at Old Trafford.

The former Sporting CP boss has experienced a mixed set of results, with Amorim still lacking the key players needed to make his system tick at the Red Devils.

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Ashworth’s key Man Utd signing

Ruben Amorim welcomed the arrival of Manchester United wing-back Patrick Dorgu from Serie A side Lecce earlier this month before the transfer window shut.

The United manager will have to wait until the summer before he can clear out more of Erik ten Hag’s signings and overhaul his Red Devils squad further.

Dan Ashworth arrived as sporting director at Old Trafford last summer and was a key target for Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Ineos regime at the Premier League club.

However, the 53-year-old former Newcastle sporting director’s role lasted only five months before Ashworth made his abrupt exit from the Red Devils.

Mark Ogden has now revealed that struggling United striker Joshua Zirkzee was a signing that was made by Ashworth and the recruitment department.

Speaking on ESPN, he said: “The flip side is that Joshua Zirkzee is a player who really struggled this season, he was a signing that was driven by Dan Ashworth and the recruitment team, so his first window wasn’t great.

“So having made the wrong appointment, you have to maybe give Ineos credit to get rid of him.”

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Amorim has the key for Zirkzee

Joshua Zirkzee has been met with heavy criticism in his debut season at Old Trafford after he was signed in a deal worth £36.54m from Serie A outfit Bologna in 2024.

The 23-year-old Dutch forward has only netted five times and registered two assists in his 37 matches for United across all competitions this season.

Zirkzee had been linked with a return to Italy during the January transfer window, with the likes of Juventus interested in the former Bologna man.

However, the United striker remained at Old Trafford and continued to play under Amorim amid the pressure placed on his shoulders.

Zirkzee’s struggles have only been further amplified by the poor run of form of fellow United striker Rasmus Hojlund, who is struggling in the final third.

The Netherlands international has received praise at times for his performances on the pitch, especially with Zirkzee’s effective link-up play in attack.

Amorim’s solution for the United and Netherlands striker could be to adapt him from a striker to one of the two No 10s for his tactical system.

Zirkzee has played as one of the two No 10s at United under Amorim and a couple of tweaks from the former Sporting CP boss could unlock the player’s potential.