Manchester United have started out on what they hope is the road to redemption.
Ruben Amorim is using his time on tour in the U.S. to take the first steps towards recovering from their worst season for more than 50 years. The Portuguese coach, appointed in November, accepts he has something to prove ahead of his first full campaign in charge and he also has players in his squad who will be feeling something similar.
Amorim has already cut loose high-profile stars including Marcus Rashford (who joined Barcelona on loan) and Alejandro Garnacho (who has been told to find a new club.)
Anyone who made the trip to America has cleared the first hurdle in being part of the new era. But with more changes likely to be on the way, there are a number of squad members facing crucial seasons as they look to prove they can be part of the club’s future.
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Mason Mount
The midfielder has endured a frustrating two years at United and has been restricted to just 13 Premier League starts since arriving from Chelsea for £60 million in 2023 because of a series of injuries. Indeed, he’s only managed to complete 90 minutes once in a United shirt: in a League Cup tie against Newcastle in November 2023.
Finally fit again, Mount is facing a crucial season. Amorim is a big fan of the 26-year-old — particularly the way he presses — but he faces stiff competition for one of the two No. 10 spots in the 3-4-2-1 formation after more than £130 million was spent to sign Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
If Mount can rediscover his form from 2021-22 — when he scored 11 Premier League goals for Chelsea — he’ll be an important part of Amorim’s team. The alternative is that another frustrating season could throw his future into doubt ahead of next summer.
Joshua Zirkzee
In an interview on the U.S. tour this summer, Zirkzee said that United fans have not seen his best form since his £36.5 million move from Bologna a year ago and knows that supporters want more than just talk. “They’d rather see some actions on the pitch,” he said.
The Netherlands forward bounced back from being booed by sections of the Old Trafford crowd during the defeat to Newcastle in December to put in some positive performances, before suffering a hamstring in April.
There’s a debate about whether he has the skillset to play as the central striker in Amorim’s system or whether he’s better suited to one of the No. 10 positions. Either way, he needs to make the most of this season to show he can stay at Old Trafford long term. A few more goals wouldn’t hurt after getting just three in 32 Premier League games in his debut campaign.
Luke Shaw
The questions about Shaw don’t center on his ability, but rather his ability to stay fit. Whether it was Erik ten Hag at United or Gareth Southgate with England, almost every manager has been keen to pick the left back whenever he’s been available. The trouble is that it hasn’t happened all that often, particularly over the last two years.
Shaw seems perfect for the left-sided center back role in Amorim’s three-man defense and a season without European football should give the 30-year-old time to recover well in between games. He could end up being a key man for Amorim, but if he struggles to stay fit for a third season in a row then it could be time to move on next summer.
Kobbie Mainoo
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Mainoo’s situation is interesting. The 20-year-old midfielder’s talent isn’t in doubt, but there are questions about where he fits into Amorim’s team. Is he a deep-lying No. 6 playmaker or a No. 10 better suited behind a central striker? There were even times last season when he played as a false No. 9 striker himself.
He was one of the standout young players at Euro 2024, but struggled for games at the end of last season and his situation was summed up in the UEFA Europa League final defeat to Tottenham when he was only used as an 89th-minute substitute.
Amorim praised Mainoo on the tour of the U.S. by saying he has “big plans” for him, but it also came with a warning. “He needs to increase the rhythm, the pace,” Amorim said. “It’s one game per week [next season] and the competition is going to be huge.”
If Mainoo can’t break into Amorim’s first XI this year, his contract status (he is signed up until 2027, with the option of another year) will start to become a concern. And, as an academy graduate, his transfer could raise a hefty fee to aid towards PSR in January or next summer.
André Onana
United have chosen to fix their problems up front this summer by bringing in Cunha and Mbeumo, while they could yet be followed by a striker — potentially Benjamin Sesko if a deal can be agreed with RB Leipzig. But there are other positions which could be strengthened, including at goalkeeper.
A loan bid for 32-year-old Argentina international Emiliano Martínez was rejected by Aston Villa and there’s tentative interest in 26-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has a year left on his contract at Paris Saint-Germain. However, with Onana showing no desire to leave and money being spent elsewhere, the Cameroon international might get another year as United’s No. 1.
That would give him a season to prove there’s no need for an upgrade. But if that is to happen, he would need to cut out the costly mistakes after two years of inconsistency.
