Man Utd chiefs' verdict on Ruben Amorim's £200m splurge says it all as transfer plan made

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Manchester United chiefs accept that Ruben Amorim 's squad is still limited despite allowing him to spend more than £200million on new players in the summer.

The Portuguese boss, off the back of the club's worst ever Premier League showing, bought in Benjamin Sesko for £74m as well as Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo for a combined fee of over £120m. Senne Lammens also came in and has made the No 1 shirt his own.

Despite the quality now available to him those at Old Trafford are tempering their expectations, acknowledging that Amorim can only do so much with the team he has. A number of positions still need to be strengthened before the head coach can be expected to produce regularly.

United saw their momentum halted on Monday when they were beaten by Everton , ending a run of five games without defeat. They sit tenth after 12 games this term.

The January transfer window opens in just over five weeks but, despite the need to bolster certain positions, ESPN reports that United are looking to bypass the mid-season window and instead do their business next summer.

That said they remain open minded and will act if it is in their best interests. Injuries to key personnel may alter their stance but finding quality players for good value can often be a challenge midway through the season, when clubs tend to hike their prices.

United believe their financial position will allow them to continue to invest in the squad, despite their notable outlay in the summer. They believe a number of top earners, the likes of Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, will depart in the next sixth months, which will give them more freedom financially. A return to Europe would also aid their cause.

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Adding a central midfielder is among their priorities, likely in the summer. Several proven Premier League performers are already on their shortlist - the likes of Elliot Anderson, Adam Wharton and Carlos Baleba. They have also assessed Wolves duo Joao Gomes and Andre.

The club also believe that Amorim needs more depth at wing-back - especially given their importance in his system. Early enquiries have been made about the availability of a number of targets with United largely using conventional full-backs in those positions.

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