Man Utd could sanction three loan deals to fund £80m transfer of Viktor Gyokeres

If that wasn’t clear when it arrived on our shores, it largely is today. Ruben Amorim will have to overhaul an expensively assembled but substandard playing team in order to revive Manchester United.

A United manager should never face the prospect of relegation, but that is the cold reality engulfing Old Trafford this winter. Then it is Liverpoolfollowed by Arsenal – somehow it could be even worse.

Amorim himself was reluctant to accept the job mid-season, for fear he would not be able to impose his authority within the team amid the usual congestion of English matches.

He did not intend to use the January transfer window to begin his personal game overhaul. Now he almost has no choice.

The conditions are certainly stacked against him, but that doesn’t mean he or the club’s new overlords are ruling out plenty of transfer activity.

How much is there to spend?

With Erik Ten Hag Having spent and largely wasted another £200 million this summer, funds are limited as the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR) regulators watch with interest.

Any decision on several major targets could nevertheless take place in the coming weeks if United manage to change one of the many targets. large undesirable employees.

In the eyes of the PSR, allowing people like Casemironorth of £300,000 a week, leaving, even on a loan with his wages covered, will significantly increase United’s currently precarious position, freeing up funds for any return.

There are ways to get creative, as Chelsea have done with their ‘cushioning’ approach to the transfer market, spreading the costs of arrivals over the length of their long contracts.

Several ‘credit facilities’ are also available to the club, should they need them, but this will only attract more attention from the PSR. But desperate times call for desperate measures.

Who do they want to bring?

The paper i It has been said that, despite the perilous financial situation United find themselves in, conversations are ongoing between the club and representatives of transfer targets so that if funds become available they can move quickly to secure a deal.

At the very least, a full-back and a striker are high on Amorim’s wish list. As noted this week, his compatriot Nuno Mendes Paris Saint-Germain is the first choice to fill the problematic left-back role, with the player reportedly keen to make the move.

Another who would join Amorim for the second time is teenager Geovany Quenda. The right-back is seen by the new boss as perfect for his 3-4-3 system and an upgrade over current options. He would represent a cheaper option for Mendes, but Sporting Lisbon are said to be reluctant to sell mid-season.

For the striker role, Napoli striker Victor Osimhen was considered, as was PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani – who is available on loan with an obligation to buy.

Viktor Gyokeres is the one Amorim really wants. The Swedish goal machine is said to be keen on the move, with Sporting willing to allow him to leave for around £60million, but only this summer.

That fee would likely have to hit his release clause – £80million – for the 26-year-old to head to Old Trafford this month. Unlikely, given their financial situation.

Who will leave?

Almost everyone, apart from a handful of players, is for sale, at the right price. There are some, however, that United are desperate to get rid of.

Marcus Rashford is the obvious candidate to lead any fundraiser, given he is the club’s second highest earner and has publicly stated he is keen to take on a new challenge.

However, The paper i He understands that, although he has already reportedly rejected three offers from Saudi Arabia this winter, with a move to the Middle East not to the player’s liking, Europe’s interest in taking him off United’s hands does not has not yet manifested itself.

Recovering even half of that sum, along with the loan fee, would go a long way toward starting a team’s rebuild. The same goes for the other highest paid employees – Casemiro and Antony. While the three might not attract a cash buyer, loaning them out to subsidize their wages would help United’s PSR cause.

Otherwise, all offers from Victor Lindelof, Christian Eriksen and Joshua Zirkzee, with the latter attracting interest from Serie A in order to save him from his nightmare at Old Trafford, will be considered.

Even first-team regulars are considered marketable. Diogo Dalot is on Real Madrid’s radar their pursuit of Trent Alexander-Arnold fail to bear fruit.

Alejandro Garnacho has several admirers monitoring his situation, while Harry Maguire – who is out of contract this summer and faces an uncertain future – is one of the few who can hold his head high this season and claim his form has not declined significantly.