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Manchester United have now experienced their first game under the charge of Ruben Amorim.
The Red Devils travelled to Ipswich, playing out a 1-1 draw. However, with a completely new formation and system of play, and a Marcus Rashford goal in under two minutes, there was a lot to be excited about.
Whilst most of the team lined up as anticipated, with Casemiro and Christian Eriksen in the centre, Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes in attack and Jonny Evans and Matthijs de Ligt in defence, his wings were always up for debate.
Amorim plays with a high-lined set of wing-backs, working on both attack and defence to support more options in the middle.
This is a completely different set-up to the previous formation under Erik ten Hag, so will take some getting used to.
On the right, Amad Diallo was tasked with taking on a more defensive role than he’s used to, however excelled with an early assist to Rashford.
On the left, Diogo Dalot was still covering the left-back role that he’s been tasked with for some time now. However, we did get the first glimpse of Luke Shaw again, making it the first appearance of a natural left-back in nearly a year.
The left-back role is clearly an area of focus that Amorim needs to address given the consistent injuries experienced by Luke Shaw.
Now, the club are reportedly looking to France for a long-term replacement for the England international.
The Daily Mail have reported that Amorim is wanting PSG left-back Nuno Mendes in his transfer shortlist.
Ruben Amorim targets PSG star Nuno Mendes
Mendes is a graduate of Amorim’s system, having come through the Sporting Academy, playing under him for two years until he joined PSG in 2021.
The situation between Mendes and his club is questionable at the moment, which only gives a boost to United. PSG have attempted to negotiate an extension of his contract past 2026, however to no avail.
Thanks to his early years under Amorim, Mendes has a brilliant attacking side to his game, seeing a reunion with his former coach as a real potential. At Sporting he made 47 appearances with a goal and three assists, however has built on this impressively at PSG.
With the French club, the 22-year-old has gone on to make 93 appearances, with four goals and 13 assists.
The targeting of Mendes shows Amorim’s belief in his system, believing that Amad can fit his vision for the right, however wanting a dynamic and technical left-wing-back, which Mendes certainly is.
However, with over a year left on his contract, PSG have no pressure to sell, meaning they could demand a significant fee, with Transfermarkt currently valuing him at £45 million (€55 million).
This could well be out of United’s price range, given their limited budgets going forward to counteract the £600 million worth of spending under ten Hag.
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