Manchester United are in transition, but after a 2024/25 campaign that must be buried and forgotten, Ruben Amorim has succeeded in endowing his squad with more zest and zeal than was previously on display.
Amorim’s United have a perfectly respectable Premier League record so far this season. Seventh in the standings, the five-match unbeaten streak has eased the pressure and placed the side in a promising position, only four points behind second-place Manchester City.
Bryan Mbeumo and Matheus Cunha have played crucial parts in achieving this. INEOS have revamped the Red Devils’ frontline, and now there is far more togetherness and understanding when on the attack.
But, as United look to wedge their way back into the Champions League and then compete for that silver cup after so many years, Amorim may fancy a higher breed of player, and it would indeed appear that Sir Jim Ratcliffe and co are aiming for the stars.
Man Utd eyeing marquee signing
Manchester United are one of the biggest clubs in the world, but for too long they have struggled to match that reputation with sustained success on the field.
While the Theatre of Dreams crop have edged back onto the once-trodden path, it seems INEOS are interested in a marquee addition to balance against the shrewd summer signings. Someone like Cristiano Ronaldo, perhaps?
Not an easy task, replicating that one-time signing under Sir Alex Ferguson, which proved to be one of the best in the history of the game, with CR7 of course now recognised as one of the finest and most accomplished footballers in history.
But United should be aiming to sign one of the game’s superstars, a game-changer whose quality differs from everyone else under Amorim’s wing.
Maybe that’s why Man United are interested in striking a deal for Real Madrid’s Vinicius Junior, whose future in the Spanish capital has been a hot topic for several years at this stage.
Vinicius Jr, 25, is reported by Spanish sources to be considering a shock departure from Real Madrid, given that he no longer feels like the protagonist next to Kylian Mbappe.
United are on red alert, and are even understood to have prepared a £200m offer to lure him away from the Santiago Bernabeu.
Chelsea are also long-term admirers, and so INEOS and Jason Wilcox would need to act speedily to get this one over the line.
What Vinicius Junior would offer Man Utd
Vinicius Jr is widely recognised as one of the most talented forwards of his generation. Having joined Real Madrid from Flamengo for just south of £39m in 2018, the Brazilian has scored 111 goals and supplied 87 assists across 338 senior outings, notably winning two Champions League and three La Liga titles.
A big-game player and with so many different ways to hurt his opponents, the £353k-per-week talent has been embroiled in something of a tumultuous year at Real Madrid, and it’s starting to look increasingly likely that he will not see out the duration of his prime in the iconic white shirt.
Mercurial, dynamic and always dangerous, Vinicius Jr is blessed with such frightening speed and control when on the ball, such creativity when zipping up and down the left flank.
Hailed as a “legend in the making” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Vinicius Jr could reach that potential by completing a reversal of Ronaldo’s record-breaking transfer to Spain way back when, taking his world-class reputation and hitting new heights in a different league.
The 2024 Ballon d’Or runner-up’s volatile nature at times is also part of what makes him special. He is a natural-born competitor, and he hates losing. Perhaps Man United need such a player, someone with the aura and determination of Ronaldo.
There have been several flare-ups in Spain this season for the South American star. He has been somewhat at odds with new manager Xabi Alonso, and he has blanked across his past four La Liga matches, albeit still having scored five goals and provided four assists across 12 matches.
But there’s no denying Mbappe has taken on the focal role, and it is for this reason that Vini might want to leave, moving to United and earning greater tactical freedom to play across the frontline and in a role that would see him designated as the club’s superstar.
Vinicius Junior – Career Stats by Position
Position
Apps
Goals
Assists
Left winger
284
86
73
Centre-forward
60
29
15
Right winger
14
3
2
Attacking midfield
2
1
0
Data via Transfermarkt
Ronaldo proved he could do it over several years in the Premier League, but then he transcended expectations when moving to Real Madrid and becoming their main man.
The Portuguese legend scored 145 goals for United across two spells, winning the Ballon d’Or – the first of five – in 2008 and claiming three Premier League titles and the first of many Champions League trophies across that glittering first stint, led by Sir Alex.
Vinicius Jr has enjoyed illustrious success in Spain and is accepted by all as one of the game’s finest. But could it be that he too needs to enjoy the talismanic handle to hit his finest form? In this, he could find that United offer the perfect platform for him to slide into, tackling a project that needs plenty of work but is showing the signs of a corner turned.
Under Amorim’s guidance at Old Trafford, he could achieve this, emulating his Los Blancos idol in leaving Real Madrid after sustained success and forging a new path.
The respective situations are hardly identical, but there are undoubtedly similarities, and Vincius Jr has the power and personality to hit the jackpot in England and lead the Man United resurgence, combining with Mbeumo and Cunha and Benjamin Sesko to restore United to their one-time power as a behemoth of the British and European game.
