Ruben Amorim says Manchester United need to sign ‘one or two big players’

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Ruben Amorim has said he wants to sign “big players” this summer to fill holes in his Manchester United squad.

Amorim explained he meant new recruits who can make a major impact on his team rather than star names from Real Madrid, but his agenda for change via the market is clear.

Amorim was hired as United head coach in November and over saw the arrivals of wing-back Patrick Dorgu and young centre-back Ayden Heaven in January.

United were not as active as other clubs, such as rivals Manchester City who spent £178million ($230m) on five players in the winter window.

Ahead of Sunday’s Manchester derby at Old Trafford, Amorim was asked if he finds City’s spending power daunting.

“Not just City but other teams, they are already in a place that we need a lot to catch them and they will improve again next season,” he said. “I just want to focus on our strengths and bring one or two players, big players.

“We need to focus, we are doing all the stuff to be next season so much better. In my idea, I cannot manage this thing of ‘in four years we will try something’. We need to be so much better. This is a massive club.”

Dorgu was a €30m winter signing from Italian side Lecce

Amorim later clarified his comments, though he said that being able to spend a large of amounts of money helps “a lot”.

“I shouldn’t say that, big players is like different things,” said the 40-year-old.

“It’s characteristics that we don’t have in our squad, trying to see the gaps, when I say big players I’m not saying from Real Madrid etcetera, it’s big players in the way I see the game.”

What did Amorim mean?

Analysis from Manchester United correspondent Laurie Whitwell 

Sirens rang when Amorim cited a desire for “big players” to join United in the summer, but when answering a follow-up question he clarified he meant in terms of impact on his team rather than star signings from Real Madrid, such as say Casemiro or Raphael Varane.

Amorim needs recruits who can cause a significant uplift in his side, specific to positions where there isn’t quite the right fit. In that sense, Patrick Dorgu could be classed as a “big player” given his suitability to the wing-back role so crucial to Amorim’s system.

It seems inevitable Amorim had striker in mind as he spoke, given United’s struggles in front of goal, while an athletic midfielder is also on the agenda, especially with Christian Eriksen’s departure in the summer when his contract expires.

It is notable Amorim only said “one or two” when talking on this basis — presumably he wants more but perhaps some will be squad signings. He appeared to be saying he needs a couple to mark a major, immediate shift to the level of his starting XI.

(Photos: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

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