'We Are Short': Man Utd Boss Ruben Amorim Confirms January Transfer Reality as Mainoo and Zirkzee Consider Exits
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim has acknowledged that the club faces a shortage of squad depth heading into the January transfer window, revealing that any potential departures will only be sanctioned if suitable replacements are secured.
Ruben Amorim admits Manchester United are short on numbers ahead of January, as Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee seek more game time but face exit conditions.
The Portuguese manager issued the update ahead of the winter market opening on New Year’s Day, with Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee both reportedly eager to leave Old Trafford in search of increased first-team opportunities.
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According to a report from the BBC, Mainoo and Zirkzee are hoping to gain more regular minutes by moving away from United when the transfer window opens on 1 January.
Mainoo, an England international, has yet to start a match for the Red Devils during the 2025–26 campaign. The 20-year-old has featured 11 times this season, all from the bench. He was close to sealing a season-long loan switch to Antonio Conte’s Napoli in the summer, but United blocked the move on deadline day in September.
Zirkzee, meanwhile, is also drawing interest from Italy. The Netherlands international has made just 10 appearances for United this season, starting only three times. The 24-year-old previously spent two seasons at Serie A side Bologna between 2022 and 2024 before completing a £36.5 million (€42m/$49m) move to England.
Despite the players’ desire for more game time, Amorim has made it clear that neither will be allowed to depart unless replacements are brought in. United are currently dealing with several absences, with Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo all away at the Africa Cup of Nations representing Morocco, Ivory Coast and Cameroon respectively. The tournament runs until Sunday, 18 January.
In addition, captain Bruno Fernandes is expected to be sidelined for around a month after suffering a hamstring injury in last weekend’s 2-1 Premier League defeat to Aston Villa.
These factors have left Amorim concerned about squad numbers as January approaches.
“It’s going to be hard for someone to leave the club if we don’t get a substitution,” Amorim said. “We are short. Even with the full squad we are short for something that can happen.
“We are a club with a big responsibility. We are dealing with all these issues and in everybody’s head we need to win every game. It doesn’t matter. There are no excuses.”
Earlier this month, Amorim confirmed that United are open to strengthening during the winter window, but only if the right long-term options become available. The former Sporting CP boss stressed the importance of avoiding panic signings, a mistake he believes the club has made previously.
“We can improve, we have space to have more players, but we have a plan,” Amorim told Sky Sports. “We need to bring in players that we know. If we are not sure and everyone is not aligned, it is better not to bring anyone and work with the players that we have.
“That is clear for me. Maybe I should be different like so many other managers, but that is my thinking for the club, and I think the board thinks that too. We cannot make the same mistakes we did in the past. We need to survive these moments because we have players coming back from internationals and injury.”
Amorim is close to completing his first full year in charge of Manchester United as the club closes out 2025 with league matches against Newcastle United on Boxing Day and Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday, 30 December.
The 40-year-old was appointed as Erik ten Hag’s successor on 1 November 2024 and guided United to a 15th-place finish last season, their lowest league position since the 1989–90 campaign. However, performances have improved this term, with United currently sitting seventh in the Premier League table, just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.
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