Keep or sell? Every Manchester United player assessed ahead of Ruben Amorim transfer overhaul

Ruben Amorim is officially set to arrive at Manchester United.

The 39-year-old will start work this week and one of his first jobs will be to assess the players he has inherited from Erik ten Hag.

His target is clear: to assemble a squad capable of getting United back to the top of English football and challenging for major trophies.

There will inevitably be new signings and player departures at Old Trafford.

Here, Standard Sport assesses who Amorim should keep and who he should offload.

Goalkeepers

Andre Onana

Despite the odd high-profile error, he can make superb saves on his day and is worth sticking with. KEEP

Altay Bayindir

A decent back-up option. Money should be spent elsewhere rather than on a new No2. KEEP

Tom Heaton

He will be 39 by the time his contract expires next summer. RELEASE

Defenders

Harry Maguire

Could be a key beneficiary of Amorim’s preference for playing a back three. Still a player in there. KEEP

Noussair Mazraoui

Remains to be seen whether Amorim feels he can use Mazraoui as a wing-back, but unlikely to be moved on so soon after signing. KEEP

Victor Lindelof

Will be out of contract in July 2025, when he turns 31. A steady head but not an elite centre-back. RELEASE

Leny Yoro

His start to life at Old Trafford has been disrupted by an ankle injury but he looks a real talent. KEEP

Lisandro Martinez

Prone to injury but one of United’s best centre-backs and a player who could thrive under Amorim. KEEP

Harry Amass

The 17-year-old could be one of the key winners from Amorim’s appointment, as a left-back who is more than capable of playing further up as a wing-back. KEEP

Tyrell Malacia

Has had a tough time of it at United with an injury-ravaged few years. SELL

Matthijs de Ligt

A really poor start to his United career may be more to do with how bad things got under Ten Hag than a reflection of the Dutchman. Too early to sell in any case. KEEP

Diogo Dalot

A well-balanced full-back, but questions remain over whether he can step up and become a flying full-back the like of which Amorim tends to use. Jury is out but keep for now. KEEP

Luke Shaw

One of Europe’s best left-backs when he is on it, but his biggest issue is staying fit. Can play wing-back, though, and that could prove valuable in a 3-4-3 system. KEEP

Jonny Evans

Kept on as an emergency option but this surely has to be it. His deal expires next summer, when it will be time for United to move on once and for all. RELEASE

Midfielders

Mason Mount

The £60m signing has not hit anything like the heights he did at Chelsea, and is regularly unavailable for selection through injury. SELL

Manuel Ugarte

An important player under Amorim at Sporting, the Uruguayan was used sparingly by Ten Hag but looks set to benefit from the new manager’s arrival. KEEP

Bruno Fernandes

Shoulders a lot of the flack when the Red Devils are not doing well but is the best player at the club. KEEP

Christian Eriksen

Old enough that he once played against his new manager. His contract is up next summer and, given he will be 33, perhaps time for United to move on from a player with high wages. RELEASE

Toby Collyer

Has shown glimpses of his talent in cameos here and there. Worth loaning out in order to experience more first-team football. LOAN OUT

Dan Gore

A similar situation to Collyer. Also 20, needs more game time in order for the club to accurately know how good a player they have got. LOAN OUT

Amad Diallo

One of very few players to have seen his stock rise over the first few months of the season. A capable wide player. KEEP

Casemiro

Would be an obvious sell but his deal ends in 2026 so perhaps best sticking with him until then. KEEP

Kobbie Mainoo

Easily the most exciting player to have been produced by United’s Carrington academy in years. KEEP

Forwards

Joshua Zirkzee

His £36.5million summer move from Bologna is not working out. Caught between being a striker, winger and No10 but good enough at none of them for United’s desired level. SELL

Marcus Rashford

One of the men whose performances suffered under Ten Hag. Needs to give more in terms of tracking back, but can be a game-changer on his day. KEEP

Ethan Wheatley

At 18, Wheatley is a promising young forward who is still very much at the developmental stage of his career. KEEP

Rasmus Hojlund

Has by no means been a flop since joining United, but they cannot return to the top with a striker who is a seven out of 10. They should sell Hojlund and target Sporting star Viktor Gyokeres. SELL

Alejandro Garnacho

Has had a very frustrating start to the season but was United’s best performer last term and is a talented player. KEEP

Antony

Hopelessly one-footed, his £86.3m move from Ajax was Ten Hag’s biggest transfer failure. United will lose money on him, and probably a lot. SELL