Not just a matter of striker, Amorim has a more complex homework at Manchester United

Gilabola.com -Manchester United closed their pre-season tour in the United States with the status of the Premier League Summer Series champion after a 2-2 draw against Everton.

But behind the results, Ruben Amorim knew very well that his team had not reached the ideal level to compete in the main competition next season.

The Portuguese coach did prioritize the improvement of the attacking sector in the transfer window this summer. The recruitment of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo is the first step to strengthen the front lines. But the challenges faced by United are not as simple as increasing the number of attackers.

Last season, they finished ranked 15th in the Premier League standings and were only able to win two league wins in the 2025 calendar year from unformed teams.

Although the target this season is more realistic – including the top six – they still carry a big burden on the ambitious project titled ‘Project 150’ which led to the dream of winning the league in 2028.

Bruno Fernandes’ criticism and reality on the ground

Bruno Fernandes, as the team captain, gave his view straightforwardly after the match against Everton. He considered that the team did show development, but not yet at the proper level.

According to him, the club has done what they can do based on the financial situation encountered. He also said that there needs to be more competition and quality in the team to encourage each player to perform optimally to get a place in the eleven main.

Fernandes hopes that there are still one or two additional players who can help the mission. But Fernandes’s view could not be enough to describe the depth of the problem that the team had.

United did prioritize bringing a striker in the remaining time of the transfer market, but no matter how good the front lines will still be in vain if other sectors are not strengthened. The comparison is like buying a new sofa even though the roof of the living room is leaking.

Another most obvious problem is the position of goalkeeper. There is no adequate coating for Andre Onan, who will also be absent when defending Cameroon in the African Cup.

In addition, there is still doubt over the compatibility of Onana with Amorim’s playing style and his mistakes that could not be considered a little since joining.

Crisis in midfield and question marks for the future

The midfield also presents its own dilemma. The combination of Kobbie Mainoo and Manuel Ugarte did perform brilliantly when facing West Ham, but they failed to perform optimally when facing physical pressure from Everton.

Amorim wanted an additional one more midfielder before the summer transfer deadline arrived, but even the addition could not be enough.

At present, United only have one middle midfielder experience in Mainoo. Meanwhile, the condition of Casemiro and Ugarte still caused concern. The squad has also been too full of attacking midfielders, so the distribution of players is unbalanced.

Bruno Fernandes may hope that one or two new recruits can improve the situation. But if you look honestly, this team needs a minimum of three new players in a different sector to return to the expected path.