Man Utd ‘Blocked’ Ruben Amorim From Signing Four Players to Build Superteam

Former Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim was blocked from signing four players he had previously worked with at Sporting CP during his 14-month reign as Red Devils head coach.

Amorim, 40, was “reluctantly” sacked by Manchester United on Monday (January 5) and left the club sixth in the Premier League after 20 games this season.

Several names have been mooted as his replacement – including Crystal Palace head coach Oliver Glasner and ex-Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca – with former United midfielder Darren Fletcher set to take charge of the side for their trip to face Burnley on Wednesday (January 7).

Meanwhile, former United striker and head coach Ole Gunnar Solskjær is reportedly in contact with the club over a potential stint as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

Of course, the Norwegian previously managed United from 2018 to 2021, a period during which he guided them to a second-place finish in the 2020/21 Premier League season.

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Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is heavily linked with return to Man Utd (Credit:Getty)

As for Amorim, he will look back on his time in charge of United as a failure, having overseen the side finish 15th in the 2024/25 campaign, as well as lose the Europa League final against Spurs in May.

Despite Benjamin Sesko, Bryan Mbeumo, Matheus Cunha, Patrick Dorgu, Senne Lammens, Diego Leon, and Ayden Heaven joining the club during Amorim’s reign, there were reportedly four other players he wanted to recruit but was reportedly blocked from signing by the club.

According to the Mail, Amorim was ‘frustrated’ after being knocked back for multiple players whom he had previously coached at Sporting CP.

Geovany Quenda, Ousmane Diomande, Salvador Blopa, and Morten Hjulmand were all targeted by Amorim, but the club supposedly had other ideas and did not see eye to eye with the coach’s “vision” in the transfer market.

Portugal youth international winger Quenda, 18, is currently at Sporting but has already agreed to join Chelsea in the summer of 2026 despite having previously engaged in talks with United.

Ruben Amorim was 'blocked' from signing four Sporting CP players (Credit:Getty)

Centre-back Diomande, 22, was seen as a potential physical asset to United’s defence, but a move never materialised, and he also remains at the Lisbon club.

Amorim was also keen on 18-year-old wing-back Salvador Blopa, but he too remains a Sporting player.

Twenty-six-year-old Danish midfielder Morten Hjulmand, who captains Sporting, was also seen as a ready-made number six that could’ve helped United’s struggling midfield, but the club reportedly had other targets in mind ahead of the 2026 summer transfer window.

Would signing familiar players, who were used to his 3-4-2-1, have changed Amorim and United’s fortunes? Possibly, but unfortunately, we will never know.