Manager Ruben Amorim has revealed that there are currently no talks with Manchester United bosses regarding a potential January signing, despite the club’s strong position in the race for Champions League qualification. United sit sixth in the Premier League midway through the season, level on points with fifth-placed Chelsea and just three points behind fourth-placed Liverpool, but Amorim insists this will not change the club’s existing strategy.
The Portuguese manager has previously hinted that United could make a move in January under the right circumstances, with the club reportedly prepared to trigger Antoine Semenho’s £65m release clause at Bournemouth before opting for Manchester City instead. However, Amorim admitted there had been no ongoing talks with director of football Jason Wilcox and chief executive Omar Berada this month about reinforcements for the squad, despite recognizing the club is in a good position to achieve its Champions League goals.
“The transfer window remains the same. There are no discussions to change teams,” Amorim said. “We have a process, we have an idea. We are close to qualifying for the Champions League, but there are eight teams behind us, so let’s focus on the next game.”
Amorim appears to be more pessimistic about transfers than he has been in recent weeks, sounding quite optimistic about January additions in his press conference on December 20, although he said that day: “We’ll see. The only thing we know is that we only try to bring in players that we think are the future.”
“At this point it’s not going to be about salvaging anything or dealing with the loss of three players in AFCON.
“Even if we bring in one player, it might not be a position where we need more. We’re going to bring in the perfect player for our future now and at the end (of the season). So we don’t know what’s going to happen, but it’s possible we can do something.”
Amorim also stressed that despite Roma’s strong interest in Joshua Zirkzee, none of the players had asked to leave the club this month, although Koby Mainu, who has been fighting for consistent appearances this season, remains open to a temporary move.
Asked if anyone had approached him asking him to leave, Amorim said: “No, no one. I don’t think they will come to ask me to leave.”
