Erik ten Hag's £7.7m transfer mistake could haunt Ruben Amorim at Man Utd - view
Manchester United sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday and have made progress in bringing in Ruben Amorim from Sporting CP.
Several critical points have come to light in the wake of Ten Hag’s departure.
The Athletic revealed that Ten Hag made the controversial decision to offload young defender Alvaro Fernandez for £7.7 million during the summer.
Fernandez was sold despite United having no left-backs fit and available in the squad.
Ten Hag has often complained of not having a specialist left-back at his disposal but selling Fernandez seems a baffling call.
In his final press conference, the Dutchman said that Luke Shaw faced a setback in his recovery and that his return could be delayed.
Tyrell Malacia did not feature last season and is still recovering from his long-term knee injury.
Malacia could return before the turn of the year, but he is unlikely to perform at the highest level right after his comeback.
Selling Fernandez was a glaring mistake and could haunt United for the rest of the season.
Amorim prefers to play in a 3-4-2-1 formation, which is heavily dependent on full-backs.
It is fair to assume that Malacia won’t be a regular starter or at his best until the start of the next season.
On that basis, Amorim would be forced to use Diogo Dalot or Noussair Mazraoui in the left-wing back spot.
United could sign a new left-back in January to bolster the squad, but there are financial concerns about compliance with Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Terminating Ten Hag’s contract cost United £16 million, and they must pay a release clause to bring Amorim to Old Trafford.
These transactions significantly limit United’s financial power for the January transfer window.