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.”
Rio Ferdinand’s comments highlight a potential dilemma for Ruben Amorim—how to maximize Rasmus Højlund’s impact while potentially bringing in another striker like Viktor Gyökeres. Given Amorim’s success with Gyökeres at Sporting, it wouldn’t be surprising if he wanted to reunite with him at United.
If that happens, Højlund’s role could come into question. Would Amorim shift to a two-striker system, or would Højlund have to fight for his place? Considering United’s goal-scoring struggles, adding another proven forward makes sense, but it could complicate things for Højlund.
Do you think Højlund has done enough to remain United’s main striker, or would bringing in someone like Gyökeres be a necessary step?
