Ruben Amorim now personally wants to sign £17m Portugal star for Man Utd

da luck： Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim now personally holds a strong interest in signing an “unbelievable” star, who is open to a move to the Premier League.

Amorim looking to improve squad amid mounting pressure

da supremo： Amorim was given the benefit of the doubt after a poor first season at Old Trafford, perhaps in light of the fact the manager was working with a squad that wasn’t really his own, having replaced Erik ten Hag in November.

However, the 40-year-old is running out of excuses after spending big in the summer transfer window, with Owen Hargreaves bemoaning the fact that a lot of problems still remain.

Hargreaves said: “Where do you want to start? There are a lot of issues. How Kobbie Mainoo doesn’t play in this team I’ll never know. He came on for that game and in half hour he was probably their best player, by a country mile. So first of all he’s got to play.

“Sesko is not ready. He scored a lot of goals in Germany but he didn’t look ready today. You look at Haaland, the way he ran about and pressed, he just wasn’t active enough, I know he didn’t get much service but he’s got to be more active.”

Sesko is yet to get off the mark in a Man United shirt, which raises concerns over the signing of the 22-year-old, while it is also very strange that Mainoo isn’t receiving much game time, given that he is a more natural central midfielder than Bruno Fernandes.

The 20-year-old is yet to start a Premier League game this season, but rather than reintroducing the youngster to the side, it now appears as though the United boss is looking to strengthen his midfield.

According to The Daily Briefing (via Football365), Amorim is a fan of Al-Hilal midfielder Ruben Neves, and holds a strong interest in signing the former Wolverhampton Wanderers man, who could be available for as little as €20m (£17m).

Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur are also named as potential suitors for the central midfielder, who is said to be willing to return to the Premier League.

"Unbelievable" Neves could excel at Old Trafford

Man United have made a point of signing proven Premier League players in recent times, having signed Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo, and the Al-Hilal maestro fits the bill in that regard, having impressed during his time with Wolves.

The 60-time Portugal international has also caught the eye at Al-Hilal over the past year, particularly impressing with his passing and tackling, while also finding the back of the net on a regular basis.

Statistic

Average per 90

Non-penalty goals

0.19 (91st percentile)

Tackles

3.21 (94th percentile)

Passes attempted

74.89 (93rd percentile)

Pass completion %

91.8% (97th percentile)

At 28-years-old, Neves may still have a lot left to give in the Premier League, and at just £17m, he could be a bargain addition to Amorim’s squad.