Amorim keen on keeping players at United despite transfer talk

Ruben Amorim admitted that he has no control over player sales in the January transfer window as numerous stars have been linked to a future away from Old Trafford. The Portuguese, who was present during a press conference earlier on Friday, said that the club are in charge of overseeing transfers but equally insisted his intent to keep players at the club.

“I want to keep my players, I'm focused on these players," the former Sporting Lisbon manager told reporters. "I don't know what is going to happen in this window, we'll see. But they are our players, so we have control of that. We decide on that. Sometimes it's harder for the players because they have some information, and you can feel it in every team. It’s like that".

Marcus Rashford was frozen out of the squad by Amorim as he was recently ruled out from Thursday night's 3-1 win over Southampton - his third successive game excluded. The 27-year-old striker has already said he wants to find a new challenge away from the Red Devils, gathering interest from AC Milan, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund for a move in winter. 

But Rashford is not the only one who could bid farewell this month. Reports from England suggest that United are looking to offload Brazilian duo Casemiro and Antony as their elevated salaries, tied with their underwhelming performances, represent a financial obstacle for the club. Greek side Olympiacos are said to be interested in the £85m flop, who was praised by Amorim for his performance against the Saints. Meanwhile, Saudi Arabian sides remain on the radar for the former Real Madrid midfielder.

And with talk of Garnacho also potentially leaving - Napoli have offered €50m for the Argentinian - Amorim has acknowledged that the transfer market has become a distraction for him ahead of a crucial second half of the season. “For me, it's harder to prepare for the game when we lose. When we win, we can manage everything, expectations, and the bad mood of some players. We'll prepare the game in the same way and just focus on the next game." Man United's next fixture sees them taking on Brighton at home in the Premier League.

 

January 17, 2025