Ruben Amorim knows where he stands with Man Utd transfers for January and summer windows

Ruben Amorim is yet to officially take over as Manchester United head coach but already faces a tough situation when it comes to the club's January transfer window

New Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is unlikely to be granted a budget in his first transfer window at Old Trafford.

One week has passed since Erik ten Hag was sacked despite the club splashing out heavily on transfers over the summer. United shelled out around £200million on players to fit his vision, including reuniting him with former charges like Noussair Mazraoui and Matthijs de Ligt, only to fall short amid United's worst-ever start to a Premier League season.

In addition, The Athletic reported the costs of changing manager mid-season; Ten Hag pocketed around £15m on his way out, while United coughed up almost £10m to secure Amorim's release from Sporting CP. Moreover, United have also had to dig deep to bring Amorim's coaching staff with him, reportedly costing around £4m.

All this unexpected expenditure has left Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS significantly lighter in bank balance than they would have liked. United are not known for making big moves in the January transfer window at the best of times, but it seems even less likely this term due to such sudden costs.

Amorim, 39, may have been fully aware he'd be working with a tight budget for the foreseeable future after his move to England. And although more investment is expected next summer, it could mean a tough season lies ahead as he tries to optimise the current squad.

The club has consistently made significant losses in every summer transfer window for at least the past decade. The last time United saw a profit from transfers was during the 2009/10 season when Cristiano Ronaldo left the club for what still stands as their record sale (£80m).

United are one of the few clubs in football that can often offset transfer market losses with revenue generated in other areas. However, the fact they haven't managed to surpass Ronaldo's sale in 15 years underscores their struggles to nurture and enhance players in the post-Sir Alex Ferguson era.

Consequently, they'll once again start anew with Amorim at the helm in 2025, where he'll have the opportunity to implement his vision fully. But the recent trend of escalating fees suggests this is unlikely to begin this winter.

At least the Portuguese strategist will have one familiar face to work with in ex-Sporting anchor Manuel Ugarte. And a challenging seven months ahead will provide him with a clear picture of which areas of the United squad demand reinforcements next summer.

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