Ruben Amorim wants 22-year-old to be his first signing at Manchester United

By Naveen Kelvin | January 7, 2025

The January transfer window has always been a special one for most clubs. This is when gaffers get a fair idea of what is wrong with the side and are expected to make smart investments into bolstering their squads to achieve targets.

At Manchester United, it is as of yet unclear what this target might look like for Ruben Amorim. At this stage, finishing in the top-half itself might be an insurmountable task. This means that the best bet for European football can come from winning either the Europa League or the FA Cup.

Having said that, the Portuguese gaffer has made it clear that he won’t chase short-term success. Thus, the plan at hand is to perfect his go-to formation, which famously deploys a back-three and versatile wingbacks.

As such, it comes as no surprise that Amorim is looking to prioritize the signing of a wingback.

As per the Telegraph, PSG’s Nuno Mendes is top on the Portuguese gaffer’s wishlist for this window.

The 22-year-old has worked with the manager before, with Amorim giving him his debut at Sporting, so it is easy to see the appeal from either party. He wants to make Mendes his first signing at Old Trafford.

However, the Ligue 1 giants may not be too keen to lose the starlet who is contract-bound until 2026. As for United, supporters may raise an eyebrow at the fact that Mendes has been the subject of many injury-related issues in the recent past.

United’s current options have had mixed success so far. Amad Diallo had the most standout performance at wingback but his services have since been used higher up. And while Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui have cemented the spots for now, it is more out of a lack of options rather than any real standout virtue from either fullback.

This could end up becoming the saga to chase as the club’s financial situation makes it unlikely that any more deals will come in quickly.