With the future of Kobbie Mainoo and Alejandro Garnacho at Manchester United now uncertain, manager Ruben Amorim is said to have identified new "untouchables" at Old Trafford.
When Portuguese Amorim took over the rein of Manchester United following the sacking of Erik Ten Hag, the board had told him that he was not allowed to sell three players -- striker Rasmus Hojlund, midfielder Kobbie Mainoo and winger Alejandro Garnacho. However, not long after his takeover, academy products Garnacho and Mainoo reportedly stand closer to joining Atletico Madrid and Chelsea respectively.
Interestingly, Danish striker Rasmus Hojlund, who arrived from Atalanta in 2023, has also been stripped of his untouchable status. Although the 21-year-old striker is getting opportunities under the new gaffer, the board has given Amorim the freedom to do as he pleases with Hojlund, reports suggest.
English midfielder Mainoo was scouted and admitted to the United ranks at the age of nine and signed his first professional contract with the club in the 2022-23 season. The 2024 Copa America winner Garnacho left Atletico Madrid when United came knocking with a prize tag of £420,000. His daring runs through the wings curling balls and CR7-like celebrations have cheered up dull Old Trafford stands many times but has struggled for gametime under Amorim.
Ruben Amorim's indespensables at Manchester United
If the trio are no longer central to Manchester United's plans, then who are the new untouchables? While the board had found three youngsters to be too precious to be sold, Amorim has further brought it down to two, SportBIBLE said in a report.
The gaffer finds Leny Yoro and Amad Diallo to be the true gems of his squad who have to be retained at any cost. For the unversed, teen defender Leny Yoro was one of Manchester United's most prized signings in the summer as they beat Real Madrid to secure his arrival from Lille for an initial £52.2 million. The 19-year-old French defender was out injured soon after arrival and was mostly unavailable for Erik Ten Hag. Yoro is yet to become a regular starter under Amorim but has shined whenever given time on the pitch.
Ivory Coast-born winger Amad Diallo, meanwhile, arrived from Atalanta in 2021. The 22-year-old was loaned out to Rangers and Sunderland before getting a chance to don the famous red shirt again. Under Amorim, he has been one of the best United players so far this season and scored some memorable goals against Manchester City and Liverpool. He has so far scored six goals in 28 appearances for the senior team.
Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim was delighted with the intensity his side showed in their breathless 2-2 draw with Premier League leaders Liverpool on Sunday, but said his team's performance left him wanting more.
A week after Amorim said his reeling team could face the threat of relegation, Lisandro Martinez and Amad Diallo scored United's first goals in the cauldron of Anfield since 2018, going toe-to-toe with the league's best team in a well-deserved draw."Today I'm allowed to be the only guy upset with the team," Amorim told reporters. "But today we were a team."I want to see my team play so much better, but I think the most important thing to address today is the mentality. That is the key for everything. Today, we were a different team, not because of the system, not because of the technical aspect of the game, the tactical aspect of the game," he had said.
The draw saw United climb a spot to 13th in the table, still 11 points behind sixth-placed Manchester City and 13 behind fourth-placed Chelsea.