The January transfer window will represent Ruben Amorim’s first chance to put his own stamp on the Manchester United squad he has inherited from Erik ten Hag.
Amorim arrived in England on Monday and will take charge of United for the very first time when they face Ipswich Town in the Premier League on Sunday week.
The trip to Portman Road will mark the first of 11 games United must navigate their way through before the end of the year and before the start of the transfer window, meaning the coming weeks could well dictate Amorim’s January plans.
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It goes without saying that United are not renowned for spending big-money in the mid-season window. The last permanent signing they made in the January window was when they swooped for Amad in 2021.
With that said, exits could be the overriding theme of United’s transfer activity at the start of 2025. The Reds made good progress in the seller’s market in the summer, cashing-in on several players at the right junctures, but more work on that front still needs to be done.
With that said, the Manchester Evening News has taken a closer look at some of the players United might attempt to offload in the New Year.
Victor Lindelof
The centre-back is out-of-contract at the end of the season, making January United’s last chance to cash-in on him in an attempt to secure a fee. The club was desperate to sell the Swede in the summer, but a move failed to come to fruition, impacted by a pre-season injury he sustained.
He has made just seven appearances so far this season, making three starts. However, each of his four Premier League appearances have come via the bench.
With Leny Yoro expected back from injury soon, Amorim will not be light on options at centre-back, meaning Lindelof risks being pushed even further down the pecking order.
Turning 31 next summer, Lindelof has every right to demand first-team football every week. However, he is simply not going to get it at United, despite the prospect of Amorim switching to a three-at-the-back formation opening up an extra centre-back spot.
Christian Eriksen
Few would have anticipated Eriksen playing such an important role for United this season. We have not even reached the end of November and already he is only one appearance short of being halfway to matching last term’s tally of 28.
Injuries to Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount, plus Manuel Ugarte’s gradual integration into the team, have meant opportunities have been more forthcoming for the Dane than he would have expected. But to his credit, he has been one of United’s better players so far this season.
Despite that, his contract is up at the end of the season and he will turn 33 in February. He is not a long-term solution for United in midfield.
Still in the dark over his United future, the club would be forgiven for attempting to offload him in January in pursuit of a fee. The likes of Mainoo and Ugarte are the future in midfield.
Dan Gore
Few United players have experienced as much pain and frustration in 2024 as Gore has. After making his first-team debut in September last year, he was sent out on loan for the first time in January, joining Port Vale, to get more first-team opportunities and experience under his belt.
However, he suffered a serious injury on his Valiants debut and missed the rest of the season, meaning his maiden loan spell was a write-off. He then dislocated his shoulder in a personal training session ahead of the start of pre-season, meaning he encountered another setback.
After recovering from that shoulder injury, he then recently suffered another setback, but he is expected to be back in training soon. After such a disastrous year, he will be hoping 2025 will be kinder.
For him, amid United’s number of options in midfield, a loan move elsewhere in the second half of the campaign could be exactly what he needs. He has demonstrated that he has a high ceiling, meaning a lot of lower-league clubs will be attracted to him.
Ethan Wheatley
Wheatley finds himself in a position where he is knocking on the door of the first-team, sometimes being allowed him, before being shown the exit again. Despite making the matchday squad nine times so far this season, he has only made one appearance.
Having made his way into the matchday squad several times this calendar year, his hunger for regular first-team football will be increasing. He is still involved with the Under-21s, scoring five goals in six Premier League 2 appearances so far this term, but youth football will only help the striker so much.
Turning 19 in January, United should certainly consider the possibility of allowing him out on loan to secure more first-team experience. It could be the tonic he needs at this point in his development.
United are not exactly stacked in the centre-forward department, but Wheatley is unlikely to compete with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee for a start every week. A loan move, perhaps in the Championship or League One, could be the making of him.
