Change is afoot at Manchester United after the sacking of Ruben Amorim – but what does it mean for their high-profile players? Here we assess what the future may hold for Kobbie Mainoo, Bruno Fernandes and Marcus Rashford among others.
Kobbie Mainoo
Few players are expected to be impacted by the exit of Amorim quite as much as the 20-year-old midfielder, who has been on the fringes this season and frustrated with his role under the departed head coach.
Mainoo is one of the few players in the squad yet to start a league game this season and he faced an uncertain future at United because of Amorim’s refusal to give him a chance which has been a challenging situation for a player so early in their career.
Kobbie Mainoo has struggled for minutes at Man Utd
The academy graduate asked to leave on loan in the summer in search of more playing time ahead of the World Cup but has never communicated a desire for a permanent exit which suggests he wants to stay and fight for his Old Trafford career.
United have no intention of letting Mainoo leave – on loan or in a permanent deal – because there is a widespread desire for him to stay at the club and keep improving. Before Amorim arrived, Mainoo was a key player and scored in the FA Cup final win over Man City.
Amorim insisted he rated Mainoo and put his struggle for minutes down to him competing with captain Bruno Fernandes to play as the more advanced of the two central midfielders in his 3-4-3 formation.
Kobbie Mainoo’s half-brother, Jordan, showed his displeasure with Amorim’s handling of the midfielder at Old Trafford
The hope for many fans will be that common sense prevails, and Mainoo is restored to the midfield once he returns from injury. All the noises suggest both player and club want to continue together as long as he gets adequate game-time.
Surely whoever takes over will not persist with the same shape quite so stubbornly as Amorim, which should in theory open the door for Mainoo to reinstate himself in the team. Then it will be up to him to perform.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes had a close bond with Amorim
The United captain was close with Amorim and his coaching staff and interim head coach Darren Fletcher has told Sky Sports how disappointed Fernandes was to see him sacked.
Amorim was also essentially the driving force behind convincing Fernandes to stay at United in the summer when Al Hilal tried to sign him. The Portuguese has also since revealed he was hurt by the club hierarchy’s handling of that situation in the summer.
In an interview with Portuguese media in November, Fernandes said he felt the club bosses wanted to cash in on him but lacked the courage to defy Amorim.
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Watch Bruno Fernandes reveal his hurt over feeling Man Utd bosses were ‘willing’ to sell him in the summer
Sky Sports News understands the United decision-makers were clear throughout the summer with Fernandes that they wanted him to stay although would not stand in his way if he chose to leave.
That tallies with what Fernandes told British media in October, but nonetheless the decision to air his unhappiness with his employers so publicly raises questions about the state of their relationship.
If Fernandes still feels unwanted or underappreciated come summer and another offer like the one from Al Hilal materialises there are no guarantees Amorim’s successor will have the same ability or desire to convince the captain to stay.
The Portugal international has said he will not talk to anyone about his future until after this summer’s World Cup. By then United will hope to have a new permanent head coach. That appointment could be decisive for Fernandes’ future.
The 31-year-old’s contract at United expires in 2027 and includes the option of an additional year. Fernandes has shown no signs of slowing down in his 30s but clubs tend to be more reluctant to offer long-term extensions to players of his age.
Marcus Rashford
Marcus Rashford has rediscovered his best form at Barcelona
The England international has revived his career on loan at Barcelona this season under Hansi Flick after Amorim exiled him at Old Trafford. That loan agreement includes an option for the Spanish club to sign Rashford for £26m but it remains to be seen if they will use it.
Barcelona are delighted with Rashford’s performances but are unlikely to discuss a permanent move until the summer. They still have financial problems and have to consider if the money is there to keep paying his wages in their entirety as well as the transfer fee.
Rashford’s future at Barcelona also hinges on what happens to 37-year-old striker Robert Lewandowski at the end of the season when his deal expires. The England forward’s ability to play as a No 9 could come into the club’s thinking around keeping him.
Despite having more than two years left on his contract, Rashford remains unlikely to have any future at United. It remains to be seen how the player or club bosses might react if the next permanent head coach wanted Rashford back at Old Trafford.
Everything seems to rest on Barcelona. United will hope they don’t have to find the forward a new club once the summer transfer window opens with very few sides able to afford his reported £325,000-a-week salary.
Joshua Zirkzee
Joshua Zirkzee is wanted by Roma but is seen as a positive influence at Man Utd
Roma are interested in the Netherlands international and have been preparing a proposal to take him on loan with an option to buy this summer but Sky in Italy are reporting that the change in the dugout at Old Trafford has slowed things down.
Any decision over potential exits are expected to be pushed back until United make a decision over the head coach position – whether it be a permanent replacement or an interim until the end of the season – to let them evaluate the squad.
Zirkzee struggled for game-time under Amorim this season and only regained his place in the team due to players being unavailable because of AFCON or due to injury but has remained patient and is seen as a positive influence in the changing room.
Amorim’s view that Zirkzee is more suited to being a No 10 than a striker has been one of the key reasons behind his struggles to get into the team with so much competition for those positions.
If the interim head coach sees things differently that could open the door for Zirkzee to play more with Benjamin Sesko, the only out-and-out striker in the squad at Old Trafford, who is yet to nail down that position after a slow start.
Casemiro
Casemiro is in the final six months of his deal
The Brazilian became one of Amorim’s most trusted players after initially being dropped from the team entirely and with his contract up in the summer there is a lot of uncertainty surrounding his future.
United do not plan to trigger the one-year option in Casemiro’s contract because his wages are too high and do not fit into the structure they are trying to implement at Old Trafford.
However, given his importance to Amorim there may have been more of a desire to find a solution and renegotiate his terms if the Portuguese had not been sacked. As things stand, there have been no fresh talks over a new contract.
United’s priority this summer is signing at least one top midfielder which is expected to push Casemiro down the pecking order at United and it remains to be seen how happy the 33-year-old would be to stick around to play less and earn less.
Another big factor will be the view of the new permanent head coach on Casemrio. If nothing is agreed until the summer, the timing could see the Brazilian depart as a free agent before Amorim’s successor even has a chance to make a call.
Manuel Ugarte
Manuel Ugarte had previous experience working under Ruben Amorim at Sporting
Amorim’s arrival was supposed to be good news for the Uruguayan given his success working with the Portuguese at Sporting, however it never worked out like that.
Ugarte never regained the trust of his old head coach at Old Trafford and remains a peripheral figure. If things don’t turn around for the 24-year-old under the interim in the second half of the campaign, he will have had two disappointing seasons at the club.
That would put his future in further doubt with plenty of speculation already linking him with a potential move to Turkey in January.
With so much upheaval at United this month, there is a realistic chance that Ugarte will get one more chance to prove himself, but it does feel as though time is running out for him.
Harry Maguire
Harry Maguire could leave for free at the end of the season
The 32-year-old centre-back is out of contract in the summer and so far there has been no clarity around what the future holds for him.
Injuries have kept Maguire out for much of the season but he continues to show his worth when fit, most obviously with his winner at Anfield in October.
The former United captain’s resilience and leadership made him a valuable member of the squad to Amorim – but there is no telling how his successor will view Maguire.
