Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has refused to clarify a comment he made around his transfer budget, with his cryptic response hinting at possible friction behind the scenes.
Normally so open in his media conferences, Amorim clammed up when he was asked to explain something he said on Christmas Eve about his preferred style of play.
“I have the feeling if we have to play a perfect 3-4-3, we need to spend a lot of money and we need time,” he said. “I’m starting to understand that is not going to happen. So, maybe I have to adapt.”
Amorim subsequently shifted to a four at the back formation for the 1-0 win against Newcastle on 26 December, before reverting to five at the back when United were held to a draw by bottom side Wolves four days later.
On 23 December, the day before Amorim’s comment, United officials privately accepted their pursuit of Bournemouth’s £65m attacker Antoine Semenyo was destined to end in failure, although they stressed the intention had never been to use the 25-year-old as a wing-back.
Speaking to journalists before his side’s Premier League trip to Leeds on Sunday, Amorim was asked to explain why he did not know the position around recruitment when he joined United from Sporting in November 2024.
“I don’t want to talk about that,” he said. “I just focus on the Leeds game.”
Amorim then said he did not regret his comments prior to the Newcastle match before being asked again, by the same journalist, if something had changed in relation to the transfer budget. Once more, he replied: “I don’t want to talk about that.”
Then, after a brief pause, and after the United media official sitting next to Amorim at the press conference had begun to say who would ask the next question, the Portuguese added: “But you are very smart, so…”
There has been no clarification over what Amorim meant but an obvious conclusion would be that the journalist could work it out for himself, and that it related to the subject matter he had been discussing.
United have repeatedly stressed they would only make signings in January if they fit their long-term template.
Speaking after the Newcastle game, Amorim said he sometimes clashed with the club over targets. One of those is understood to be the decision to sign Belgian goalkeeper Senne Lammens on transfer deadline day rather than Aston Villa’s Emiliano Martinez, who was the coach’s preferred target.
Amorim said after the Newcastle game it was important the coach’s voice was listened to because he understood the qualities needed to play in his team.
The exchange comes at a time when confidence in Amorim among United fans has nosedived following a particularly poor run of home games, which included a defeat by an Everton side reduced to 10 men after just eight minutes, draws with West Ham and Bournemouth – who are on runs of eight and 10 matches without a win – and the Wolves debacle.
United remain sixth in the table, having repeatedly spurned chances to climb into the top four, but are only three points ahead of Fulham, who are 12th.
The club have made no secret of the fact European qualification is their aim for the season and there would be huge doubts over Amorim’s future if he failed to achieve that target.
United have already brought midfielder Toby Collyer back from his loan stint at West Brom, although the 22-year-old is still to recover from the calf injury suffered in a draw with Birmingham on 26 November.
It had been felt United’s hierarchy would sanction new arrivals this month if either forward Joshua Zirkzee – substituted at half-time against Wolves – or injured midfielder Kobbie Mainoo were granted the loan moves they are hoping for.
However, Amorim said neither player, or anyone else for that matter, had told him they wanted to leave.
“If you look at our squad, I think it’s impossible for someone to leave,” he said. “But they need to talk with [director of football] Jason [Wilcox].”
In addition to wing-backs, United are known to be keen to recruit central midfield players but it is not thought their leading targets, England pair Adam Wharton and Elliot Anderson, plus Brighton’s Carlos Baleba, are realistic targets this month.
The club have also been linked with former Wolves captain Ruben Neves, whose future at Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal is open to doubt, and former academy player James Garner, who has impressed since his £15m move to Everton in 2022.
However, on Friday, having previously suggested United could make at least one signing this month, Amorim said he was not anticipating new arrivals.
“We have no conversations in this moment to have any change in the squad,” he said.
