Ruben Amorim impatiently demands transformative Man Utd signing worth £80m after making U-turn

Ruben Amorim has reportedly urged Manchester United to accelerate their pursuit of a top-class striker in January, going back on one of his early promises after taking the job in the process.

Man Utd need to make drastic changes in January if they are to salvage their season, since they start the New Year in 14th place – just seven points above the relegation zone.

A key area Man Utd need to improve in is their attack, where some of the biggest changes could be made.

In that regard, Ruben Amorim has highlighted Viktor Gyokeres as a top target after bringing the best out of the former Coventry City striker in his previous job with Sporting CP.

And according to the Daily Star, Amorim has told Man Utd chiefs ‘he cannot wait until the summer’ to sign Gyokeres – despite previously ruling out raiding his former club in January when he took the job.

In turn, the report claims Man Utd ‘will step up their bid’ to bring the former Brighton unknown back to the Premier League this month.

It would be an ambitious scheme, since Sporting have set a price tag for Gyokeres in the region of £80m, making clear that they will only let him go if his release clause is met.

Amorim likely to be let down

And therein lies the problem. TEAMtalk has already explained how Man Utd do not have the funds to pull off huge signings in January.

Major sacrifices would have to be made to afford an £80m player like Gyokeres, and although it is maintained that Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee are candidates for sale, a lot of dominoes would have to fall for Gyokeres to become a gettable target in reality.

Sources have reiterated to TEAMtalk that Gyokeres could realistically only arrive at Man Utd in the summer, as a deal could not be done in January without a huge sale and extra investment.

It means Amorim might have to look for more creative solutions if he wants more guarantees in front of goal than his current options are giving.

Man Utd transfer latest

Meanwhile, Amorim seems to be making better progress towards a reunion with another of his former players in a different part of the pitch.

According to reports, Man Utd are eyeing a move for Paris Saint-Germain’s Nuno Mendes after his contract talks in the French capital broke down.

Left-wing-back Mendes used to play for Amorim at Sporting and is said to have given his approval to linking up with his compatriot again in the Premier League.

Another ambitious target on Amorim’s radar could be Victor Osimhen, with the Nigerian striker currently on loan at Galatasaray from Napoli – although a lesser-known name looks set to be the first signing of the new era.

As for outgoings, there is talk that Casemiro has agreed to leave Man Utd this month.

Why Amorim wants Gyokeres so much