Thoughts for Ruben Amorim: 5 potential winter transfer targets for Manchester United

Prior to the appointment of Ruben Amorim, Manchester United seemed destined for another season without any real destination. Erik ten Hag guided the Red Devils to one of the worst starts to a season the club have ever endured in the Premier League and overall, they appeared to be playing without any real, overarching philosophy.

Since Amorim’s appointment was confirmed, however, excitement around Old Trafford is high once more. Amorim has made a name for himself as one of Europe’s biggest managerial prospects, the Portuguese being just 39 years of age. In a four-year stint with Sporting Lisbon, he helped the club win two league titles, their first triumphs since the start of the 21st century.

Amorim will be deploying his trademark, three-at-the-back formation with Man United and for that, he will need reinforcements. It is more likely than not that a big overhaul would come in the summer rather than the winter, due to finances anyway and the fact that the club spent big ahead of the current season. With that being said though, who are five players that Amorim could target in January?

5. Geovany Quenda

17-year-old sensation Geovany Quenda has exploded onto the European stage this season, having come through the Sporting Lisbon youth academy and broken into the first team. Naturally a right-winger, the left-footed player has been trained in Amorim’s system, meaning that he has been learning the roles of a wing-back in the Portuguese’s team.

Quenda obviously has room to grow, as does any player at his age, but what he has shown thus far as a player is immensely promising. In October, Quenda became the youngest-ever player to score for Sporting in the league, being younger than a certain Cristiano Ronaldo had been when he got his first goal for the club.

The creativity that comes with Quenda’s game means that he is a particularly unique wing-back, as many do not have the natural flair of a winger. Similarly to Gyokeres, it is hard to imagine Sporting wanting to lose such a talent, but the promise of Premier League football, under his former manager no less, may prove too tempting for Quenda to say no to Manchester United.

4. Jarrad Branthwaite

Across the summer, Jarrad Branthwaite’s name was mentioned often when discussing Manchester United and potential reinforcements that the club could make in the window. The left-footed centre-back has made a name for himself at Everton, emerging as their star defender after a couple of seasons developing away from the club on loan.

A tall, commanding figure that is comfortable on the ball and in the tackle, it was understandable as to why the Red Devils were so interested in Branthwaite, though a deal could not be struck. Though Manchester United ended up signing both Leny Yoro and Matthijs de Ligt to offer depth to their backline, perhaps Branthwaite is a name they will further investigate in the winter.

A key part of Branthwaite’s game is that he is left-footed, something that de Ligt and Yoro are not. In a back three especially, having a centre-back that predominantly uses his left foot would offer the defence more equality and spacing during build up. Not only that, but Branthwaite is still a player in his early 20s. Were he to join Man United, they would be signing a player that could foreseeably be with them for at least a decade.

3. Viktor Gyokeres

It is unlikely that Sporting would accept any deal to allow star striker Viktor Gyokeres to depart the club in January. Presumably, it will be in the summer that the attacker departs, if he is to leave. Should this be the case, then Manchester United now seem like an ideal option for Gyokeres.

Though Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee have both joined the club within the last two seasons, neither have yet made a massive impact with both players having struggled so far throughout this campaign. Gyokeres, meanwhile, would represent a player that not only has the numbers, but has the numbers in an Amorim system.

At Coventry City, Gyokeres was regarded as good, a player that could most likely make the jump to the Premier League. Since moving to Portugal, though, Gyokeres has exploded into one of the continent’s most lethal strikers, having scored 67 goals and notched 19 assists in just 69 games for the club. If even a fraction of that form could follow Gyokeres to England with a move to Manchester, it could prove transformational.

2. Randal Kolo Muani

After making waves with Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany, Randal Kolo Muani moved back to his native France in 2023 as part of a $95 million deal to join Paris Saint-Germain. Things have not gone entirely to plan for the frontman, who has scored just 11 goals for the Parisians in the 53 appearances he has made for them.

In the 2024-25 season, Kolo Muani has been limited to just two starts in Ligue 1 under the guidance of Spaniard Luis Enrique. As such, there have been whispers emerging from France that PSG would not be against letting the striker leave the club on loan in January, perhaps to a team like the Red Devils.

Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund, Manchester United’s two current main striking options, have both endured a start to the season that has been full of struggles, with neither making a claim for themselves to be the absolute starting striker for their club. As such, maybe Amorim would turn his eyes to another option, such as Kolo Muani, to use as his leading attacker, even if it is just for the short term.

1. Alphonso Davies

Since joining Bayern Munich in 2019 from the Vancouver Whitecaps, Alphonso Davies has developed into one of the best wing-backs in world football. Often, he is recognised as the face of the Canadian national side and is considered one of, if not the best, to ever come out of the country.

Rumours over a potential departure from Bayern Munich have been circulating for some time now, with several teams supposedly having an interest in acquiring Davies’ services. It is understandable; the left-sided player possesses a brilliant technical ability which when combined with his natural, rapid pace, can make him a nightmare for whoever is unfortunate enough to be marking him.

Davies would be an ideal fit for Amorim’s system, a wing-back that has exceptional attacking capabilities while being a handful on the defensive side of the game. According to reports, Davies’ contract with the Bavarian giants expires at the end of the current campaign, so who is to say Man United won’t look into a potential deal come January?