“Ruben can see him for the fraud that he is. Ruben has identified the perfect replacement for him from Sporting” – Rio Ferdinand has claimed that Ruben Amorim is already facing a major challenge with Manchester United’s £72 million star. According to Ferdinand, the incoming United manager may have to make tough decisions regarding this high-profile player early in his tenure.
Former Manchester United star Rio Ferdinand believes new manager Ruben Amorim may already be grappling with a potential challenge surrounding Rasmus Hojlund and United’s striker situation.
Amorim was confirmed as Erik ten Hag’s successor after a week of negotiations with Sporting Lisbon, with the Portuguese manager set to officially take over on November 11 following three more games with Sporting.
One of Amorim’s primary objectives upon arrival will be to boost a United side that has managed only eight goals in nine Premier League matches this season—only Crystal Palace and bottom-ranked Southampton have scored fewer.
Hojlund, who joined United for £72 million from Atalanta in 2023, had a strong debut season, scoring 16 goals in 43 matches. However, injuries have limited him to just 390 minutes this season, although he recently found the net in United’s 2-1 win over Brentford.
Ferdinand commented on his YouTube channel, suggesting that Hojlund could benefit under Amorim’s guidance, pointing to Amorim’s success with Viktor Gyokeres at Sporting.
Ferdinand also speculated that Amorim might look to bring Gyokeres, who has scored 59 goals and provided 19 assists for Sporting since moving from Coventry, to United, raising questions about Hojlund’s role if a new forward joins.
According to Ferdinand, “It’s going to be a big issue. Big, big decisions to be made over the coming months.”
This report is quite surprising, considering **Rúben Amorim has not been officially announced as Manchester United’s manager**—at least not yet. If this is accurate, it suggests that **United has finalized a deal with Amorim to replace Erik ten Hag in November**, which would be a massive shake-up.
Regarding Højlund, Ferdinand raises a valid point. **United’s poor goal-scoring form** this season puts immense pressure on the striker position, and Amorim’s arrival could signal a shift in approach. His success with **Viktor Gyökeres at Sporting** makes the Swedish forward an obvious target, but it raises the question: **Would United invest heavily in another No. 9 so soon after signing Højlund?**
A potential **Gyökeres-Højlund dynamic** could be interesting, but it might also mean Højlund faces competition for his spot. What do you make of this? Would you welcome Gyökeres at United?
