Ruben Amorim’s first full summer in charge of Manchester United is veering towards a stress test of the entire Ratcliffe-era rebuild. With the Premier League opener against Arsenal only a month away, United have added just one senior signing: Matheus Cunha, activated from Wolves at £62.5m. That single outlay has already eaten deeply into a transfer kitty squeezed by heavy debt, recent operating losses and the need to sell before further meaningful recruitment can happen.
The stalled pursuit of Bryan Mbeumo underlines the squeeze. Brentford have nudged the price towards £70m, above what United believed might land the striker earlier in the window, and the club is determined not to overpay. Meanwhile, Liam Delap, viewed internally as a prime centre‑forward target, chose Chelsea, leaving Amorim short of the mobile No 9 his 3‑4‑3 system craves.
Complicating squad planning is an “infamous five” instructed to train apart at 5pm: Marcus Rashford, Alejandro Garnacho, Antony, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia, all understood to be open to moves. Ring‑fencing them signals they are available, but also risks depressing resale values at precisely the moment United must raise funds.
The wider backdrop is turbulence. Cost-cutting has reportedly slashed headcount across the club’s non‑playing departments. On the pitch United limp from a 1‑0 Europa League final defeat to Tottenham in Bilbao and a nadir Premier League finish of 15th on 42 points with a -10 goal difference a campaign some insiders felt flirted with relegation but for Bruno Fernandes.
Fernandes himself almost departed for Saudi Arabia; a nine‑figure offer was considered yet declined after talks in which the captain, manager and hierarchy weighed family factors against squad dependence. Keeping the 30‑year‑old preserves United’s clearest creative fulcrum but postpones a windfall that might have lubricated multiple deals.
Pre‑season now rolls on: a trip to Stockholm to face Leeds precedes the US tour, for which goalkeeper André Onana is a doubt because of a hamstring issue. Amorim needs clarity who is staying, who is funding arrivals, and whether alternatives to Mbeumo can be landed quickly. Without decisive movement, the summer of reset risks hardening into inertia and uncertainty.
