Ruben Amorim makes brutally honest admission about Man Utd's summer transfer targets

Ruben Amorim transformed Sporting Lisbon into the best team in Portugal with a limited budget and the support of the man who will help mastermind ’s rebuild this summer. He has no doubts that he can work the oracle once again, working alongside Jason Wilcox at .

Amorim’s close friend Hugo Viana is - and will have plenty of cash to splash on new players. Across town at United, it will be up to technical director Wilcox to work alongside the Portuguese to make absolutely sure that every penny counts.

Amorim insists that when he asks Wilcox - formerly boss of City’s academy - for big signings he won’t be expecting big money. Cash for new players is scarce at a club that stands £1billion in debt and has been left behind by neighbours who no longer have to create a din to make their presence felt.

Amorim said: “There are characteristics we don’t have in our squad and we are trying to see about the gaps we have. When I say we need ‘big players’ I’m not talking about players from . I am talking about players in the way I see the game. Of course money helps!

“We need to be really good in recruitment. We need to know our system and the way we play - and the players have to be perfect for their positions. So we know what we have to do, that is clear, and we will see next season.”

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Amorim faces Guardiola at Old Trafford having already done a number on the City boss for both Sporting and United this season. City need the points to qualify for the . For United, the first leg of their quarter-final in Lyon is a bigger game. But both managers will have very different budgets in the summer.

It was Viana who took a chance on Amorim four years ago when he made a raid on Braga for their 34-year-old coach. Despite being continually outspend by Benfica and Porto, the pair worked together to recruit and develop players like Joao Pauilinha, Pedro Porro, Manuel Ugarte, Matheus Nunes and Viktor Gyokeres.

Sporting ended their 19-year wait for the Portuguese title in 2021 and were champions again last season. Now Wilcox, the Premier League-winning winger with Blackburn 30 years ago, is Amorim’s sounding board at Old Trafford.

Amorim said: “United is a different context (to Sporting) and a different league but we were in a similar position - and maybe even lower. I was lucky to work with Hugo and I find I have more or less the same relationship with Jason. So in that part I am completely relaxed.

“It is different because the competition here is different but, of course, we need to have a great connection. I am really excited for next season and also really stressed because I put a lot of pressure on us.

“We’ve bad luck with injuries, but when you look at the , everybody has bad luck with injuries so I don’t like to focus on that. But I found out that (Alejandro) Garnacho can play on the right and that (Ayden) Heaven is ready to stay with our squad and that maybe now we can change the way that we are going to go to the market. There are always good things in the bad things, so let’s focus on that.”

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