A decade without a Premier League title wouldn’t have been on a Manchester United supporters’ bingo card after the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson.
However, five separate permanent managers have tried and all failed to deliver a title, with the responsibility of ending that drought now falling into the hands of Ruben Amorim.
The 39-year-old has impressed during the early stages of his tenure, winning two and drawing one of his first four matches at the helm after taking over from Erik ten Hag.
January will be the first opportunity the former Portuguese international will get to make a real impact on the squad, potentially adding players that will fit into his 3-4-2-1 philosophy.
However, first, he may have to tackle some of the deadwood brought in by previous managers, including during the most recent window.
United’s transfer window in the summer of 2024
Once again, over £200m was spent on new additions to try and catapult United into a top-four battle after missing out in a disappointing campaign last time around.
Matthijs de Ligt, Manuel Ugarte and Noussair Mazraoui were all signed by the Dutchman, but only the latter has shown any sign of being worth his transfer fee to date.
Centre-back Leny Yoro is another talent who was identified and recruited by the club’s new-looking hierarchy, forking out £59m for the 19-year-old – a huge sum for such a young prospect.
However, the Frenchman was also on the radar of Spanish giants Real Madrid, appearing to be a real coup as the Red Devils looked to strengthen the defensive department.
Injuries have plagued his first few months at Old Trafford, with Yoro only making his first competitive appearance in the defeat against Arsenal on Thursday night at the Emirates.
However, given his age, he has bags of time on his side to prove that he’s worth the mammoth fee they paid for his services, potentially being a spearhead in Amorim’s ambitions of bringing success back to the North West.
The player who was United’s original Yoro
The big-money deal unsurprisingly brought about huge excitement amongst the fanbase, but ultimately led to the departure of youngster Willy Kambwala, who joined LaLiga outfit Villarreal in a £10m transfer.
Like Yoro, the young defender joined from a French side in his teenage years, having arrived from Sochaux for £3.6m back in the summer of 2020 at 16 years old.
He originally linked up with the youth side, often featuring for the U18 and U21 side, but would make the jump into the senior setup, making his first team debut in December 2023 against West Ham United amid the defensive injury crisis last season.
Kambwala would go on to make ten appearances in all competitions under Ten Hag, often being praised for his fearless nature and ability to slot seamlessly into the backline, having been dubbed a “great talent” by teammate Victor Lindelof.
However, he would find himself with a move away from Manchester in the summer, moving to Villarreal to gain more game time amid the investment in the side at Old Trafford.
Games played
8
Minutes played
326
Pass accuracy
85%
Duels won
11
Aerials won
75%
Recoveries
12
Dribbled past
2x
The move hasn’t gone to plan for the French-born star, however, only making one league appearance to date, with the majority of his minutes coming in the Copa del Rey.
Kambwala has only featured for a total of 257 minutes for the Yellow Submarines – with the move yet to work out as the player and club would’ve anticipated.
Given his tender age of just 20, he still has a lot of time to prove United wrong, but for the time being, it appears the hierarchy made the right call in offloading him – doubling their money in the process.
It’s another example of how United need to continue focusing on youth talents, either making an impact at Old Trafford or making them a tidy profit later on down the line.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast's Where Are They Now series.
The French ace was unfortunately a victim of the board’s ambition, but hopefully, for his sake, he’s able to get his promising career back on track and produce the performances many know he’s capable of.
Amorim has already repeated one of Ten Hag's biggest mistakes at Man Utd
Ruben Amorim fell to his first Manchester United defeat last night.
ByEthan LambDec 5, 2024
