The Ruben Amorim era at Manchester United has officially begun and two fresh faces could accelerate the transformation.
Amorim will take training at Carrington for the first time on Monday, having brought an end to a highly successful four-and-a-half-year stint in charge of Portuguese side Sporting.
During that spell, Amorim famously led Sporting to its first Primeira Liga title in 20 years during the 2020/21 season and accomplished the same feat last term.
With his penchant for league titles, United fans hope Amorim can be the first man since Sir Alex Ferguson in 2013 to bring a Premier League trophy back to Old Trafford.
However, those same supporters are well aware the transformation won’t happen overnight.
Firstly, it will require time for United’s players to get to grips with Amorim’s renowned 3-4-3 system.
talkSPORT understands the 39-year-old is wedded to the formation, which transforms into a 3-2-5 shape when attacking and 5-2-3 when defending.
It is a high-intensity, possession-based approach that United’s current crop of stars must adapt to.
But, as football columnist Henry Winter pointed out on talkSPORT in October, not every player is going to fit Amorim’s profile.
“They’ve got a fantastic manager who plays a completely different style,” Winter said.
“He plays 3-4-3. It’s going to be different from 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
“So again, they’re going to have to go into the transfer market and strengthen, bring in stronger characters, bring in stronger players physically as well as mentally.”
It means United will have to spend even more having already parted with £178million last summer to bring in Leny Yoro, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt, Joshua Zirkzee and Noussair Mazraoui.
A number of those signings have failed to make their mark this season and questions were asked of United’s football department as to why they green-lit such a large outlay for Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on October 28.
Amorim undoubtedly would have sought assurances from the likes of United minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and sporting director Dan Ashworth regarding available funds.
Given the Red Devils’ heavy summer spend, Amorim may not have much to work with in January.
Next off-season represents the 39-year-old’s best chance to bring in some key additions to improve his team.
United will be linked with a host of stars from across the continent when the window opens, as they so often are.
But two names who will feature more prominently than any other in those rumour mills consist of Jarrad Branthwaite and Viktor Gyokeres.
United came knocking for Branthwaite last summer but had two bids worth up to £50m rejected by Everton.
However, talkSPORT understands the Red Devils will return once more for the 22-year-old centre-back as he remains at the top of their wish-list.
It is understood Ashworth believes Branthwaite would suit Amorim’s playing style and 3-4-3 system.
Gyokeres is another name known to Ashworth given he sold the Swedish marksman to Coventry City for just £1m in 2021 during his time as Brighton’s technical director.
The 26-year-old went on to score 40 goals in 97 games for the Sky Blues before he moved to Sporting in July 2023 for a modest £24m.
Gyokeres has only gotten better as the lone striker in Amorim’s system as he netted 43 times in 50 appearances across all competitions last season.
The Swede has continued his fine form this campaign with 16 league goals from 10 games and five Champions League strikes, including a stunning hat-trick in Sporting’s 4-1 rout of Manchester City.
Reports claim Gyokeres has a £84m release clause in his contract, but Amorim has refused to entertain any talk of bringing his star man with him to Old Trafford.
However, the 39-year-old will change his tune next summer if United trigger Gyokeres’ mooted release clause.
So, if the likes of Ratcliffe and Ashworth do decide to part with upwards of £150m next summer for Branthwaite and Gyokeres, how would they fit into the team?
Given Branthwaite is left-footed, the most logical position for him in Amorim’s backline is either as the left-sided centre-back or the primary central defender.
The Everton man can play as a right centre-back, but given United have other options who can also play there, it makes sense to play to his strengths.
Branthwaite also clocked a top speed of 21.8 mph (35.1 kmh) in the Premier League last season, the eighth-fastest of all central defenders in the English top flight.
With that level of speed, it strengthens the argument for Branthwaite to line up as the left-sided centre-back given he’s more likely to be called upon to make those recovery sprints there than at centre-back.
It would mean Lisandro Martinez, who Jamie Carragher tipped to play as the left-sided centre-back in his predicted United line-up under Amorim, would be the likeliest to make way.
Branthwaite would join a back three of Matthijs de Ligt and Leny Yoro, who are likely play at centre-back and right centre-back respectively.
Gyokeres has the benefit of learning the intricacies of Amorim’s system for a season-and-a-half, so would need little time, if any at all, to adapt should he follow the 39-year-old to United.
Given Amorim uses one striker and two attacking midfielders in his set-up, Gyokeres would go straight in up top.
Based on what Amorim will have at his disposal when he first arrives, Rasmus Hojlund looms as the likely option to start as striker.
But if the Swedish star does move to Old Trafford, Hojlund stands a high chance of being dropped to the bench to accomodate him.
Given Everton knocked back multiple bids around £50m for Branthwaite, United may have to come back to the table with an offer of £60m or more.
Sporting may also not settle for a penny less than Gyokeres’ £84m release clause, forcing United to once again loosen the pursestrings.
But if the duo help speed up Amorim’s project at Old Trafford, it could prove to be money well spent by the Red Devils.
