Since taking over Manchester United’s football operations, INEOS has faced considerable criticism for its handling of fan communications and ticket pricing under Sir Jim Ratcliffe. However, the club has shown significant improvement in player recruitment and sales. While not every deal receives universal approval, there appears to be a clear strategy that United are implementing in the transfer market.
Athletic director Jason Wilcox highlighted this point on a recent episode of the Inside Carrington podcast. He said: “Last summer was much more chaotic than this one. This time it was really calm. We knew the plan, we knew which players to target, we had the list, we knew which parts of the pitch we needed to improve.”
“These are ongoing meetings between me and Ruben (Amorim) and Chris Vivel and his team. We are very clear about the profile we need. The brief comes from me and Ruben and it is passed on to Chris.”
“There’s a lot of discussion and discussion around the profile we need, and then the scouts are brought to market. We combine that with the data team and have an ongoing dialogue. Currently, I have weekly meetings with the recruitment team about the profile, the age range, the cost and whether it’s achievable in Leuven as well. It’s a really collaborative approach.”
This represents a significant departure from the recruitment strategy adopted during Erik ten Hag’s tenure. At times, it seemed like he was the only one identifying potential deals.
Some of the former players have proven to be solid signings, Lisandro Martinez has started well and Matthijs de Ligt has improved week by week, but many others have failed to meet the required standards. But if Wilcox honors his commitment and the manager holds his opinion on recruiting matters, the board should take note of Amorim’s recent comments.
Amorim was asked why the team’s performance level declined towards the end of the match. In his response, the Portuguese coach emphasized the absence of two players who may no longer be at the club when next season begins.
He said: “I think there are some problems with the two games we lost. We lost Casemiro too painfully, same with Harry Maguire. They are key players. It’s not just the way they play and the experience they have, but also the set-pieces and the players that don’t take into account that.”
Both United’s contracts are due to expire at the end of the season. At this time, neither person plans to stay beyond that point.
Casemiro has expressed his desire to continue playing football after this season. Despite United having the option to extend his contract by a further 12 months, the club hope to negotiate new terms to reduce his wages.
A new agreement will be needed as United have already exercised an option to extend his contract for a further 12 months. United will likely look to reduce his salary to reflect the minutes he is expected to play from 2026 onwards.
At the moment, Maguire seems most likely to stay. However, if either or both of these players leave Old Trafford in 2026, United will face a huge challenge in finding suitable replacements.
Amorim admits that neither player represents United’s future, but their absence leaves the team significantly weaker.
This should set off warning signals within Old Trafford. Replacing such experienced Premier League and European players is no easy task, but this interview highlights the issue for some time now.
If both players decide to leave, United will need to bring in quality, experienced replacements. Failure to do so could result in the loss of important squad depth for the 2026/27 season.
