Gary Neville hands Amorim five-player transfer list with bleak warning over signing No.1

Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim has been told his own signing is not good enough by Gary Neville

Ruben Amorim has been warned he needs at least five new signings this summer to transform Manchester United’s fortunes, with Gary Neville naming five players – including the Portuguese’s first addition at Old Trafford – as “not good enough”.

The north-west giants turned to Amorim in November as a replacement for the under-performing Erik ten Hag and after the Dutchman had failed to get the best from his expensively assembled squad. But if the INEOS powerbrokers who hired Amorim were expecting a new manager bounce, they were very much mistaken, as Manchester United continue to stutter and stumble their way through the campaign.

Currently 13th in the Premier League and on track for their lowest-ever finish since the competition’s formation, United could still salvage their campaign with success in the Europa League.

However, after witnessing their drab 0-0 draw with Manchester City on Sunday, Neville fears United are a long way from recapturing their past glories and feels Amorim has a mammoth task in rebuilding the squad.

“From a United perspective, I get why he’s gone deep, I get why he’s gone back into a low block,” Neville said on Sky Sports.

“But that’s what we’ve seen from Jose Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Erik Ten Hag, they’ve all come in with the intention of playing high-press, high-energy football, but all end up going back to a low block in big games.

“I do understand why Ruben Amorim’s done that, with the players he’s got, because he hasn’t got the players to adapt.

“They need five new players, Manchester United, straight away before you even think about the rest of it.”

Pointing to additions across the front three and with two wing-backs needed, Neville fears Amorim’s first signing at Old Trafford – the £30m sent to Lecce for Patrick Dorgu – is not of the standards required.

“The three up front are not good enough – the two behind and the one. [In addition], the two wing-backs, they’re not good enough.”

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Explaining why the players currently at Amorim’s disposal are not cut out to bring the best out of his 3-4-2-1 formation, Neville concluded: “They need five players, they need to serve him with five players who are good enough in this system to be able to play his system the way he wants.”

Despite that, Amorim insists he is a big believer in coaching players to perform better and allowing them a chance to adapt to his tactics.

“Every player can improve,” he said. “They are here because they showed something at other clubs.

“They have the quality. We are a team more dangerous in transition but we need to spend more time in the final third to create opportunities.

“I can see it. The connections. The players are more comfortable in their positions. We can find players between the lines and are calm with the ball. We are better but we have a lot to improve.

“I’m not naïve or crazy. I understand looking at the opponents there is a big gap but as a leader I can’t say we’re going to take a lot of time.

“You have to feel urgency, to hurry to do something better. At a club like ours you don’t have a lot of time. We are in a rush, that is clear.”

Man Utd transfer latest: Brazil midfielder eyed; big Rashford move revived

Meanwhile, Amorim has growing doubts about Kobbie Mainoo, with a report revealing United are now ‘likely to make a move’ for a Brazil international who’ll serve as Manuel Ugarte’s new midfield partner.

Elsewhere, Aston Villa may well hold an option to buy Marcus Rashford, but a fresh report claims the on-loan United forward could well sign with a European giant instead after a high-profile deal was revived.

Another loanee United hope to make serious cash on is Brazilian flop Antony, who has admittedly looked pretty decent during his temporary stint with Real Betis.

And it seems Atletico Madrid have been utterly wowed by those displays; so much so that a report claims Diego Simeone’s side have submitted a huge financial package to secure the winger’s signature and beat Betis to a permanent deal.

Elsewhere, Paul Scholes has revealed the unpopular double player sacrifice he has heard United are planning to make this summer to aid Amorim’s squad rebuild at Old Trafford.

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