'We are short' - Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim makes January transfer window admission as Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee plot Old Trafford exits

In a new report from the BBC, both Mainoo and Zirkzee are hoping to earn more first-team minutes by leaving United when the transfer window opens on 1 January. 

England international Mainoo is yet to start a single game for the Red Devils in 2025-26, making 11 appearances from the substitutes bench.

The 20-year-old was reportedly close to completing a season-long loan move to Antonio Conte’s Napoli in the summer, only for United to block the switch on deadline day.

Meanwhile, Zirkzee is also believed to be attracting interest from Italy. The 24-year-old has made just 10 appearances for United this season, with only three of them coming from the start.

Netherlands international Zirkzee spent two seasons with Serie A side Bologna between 2022 and 2024 before moving to England in a £36.5 million (€42m/$49m) deal.

However, both Mainoo and Zirkzee have now been told they will not be allowed to leave United unless the club is able to secure replacements.

The 20-time champions are currently without Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo and Bryan Mbeumo, who are competing at the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) for Morocco, Ivory Coast and Cameroon respectively, with the tournament lasting until Sunday 18 January.

United are also expected to be without captain Bruno Fernandes for a month after the midfielder sustained a hamstring injury in last Sunday’s 2-1 Premier League defeat against Aston Villa.

And therefore Amorim believes United are “short” of numbers heading into the January transfer window.

“It's going to be hard for someone to leave the club if we don't get a substitution," Amorim said. "We are short. Even with the full squad we are short for something that can happen.

"We are a club with a big responsibility. We are dealing with all these issues and in [the media's] heads, in my head, in everybody's head, we need to win every game. It doesn't matter. There are no excuses.”

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Amorim had previously revealed United were ready to strengthen in January, provided the “perfect” players for the long term became available. The former Sporting CP manager has stressed the importance of not panic buying over the winter period - a “mistake” he believes the club have made in the past.

"We can improve, we have space to have more players but we have a plan and we need to bring in players that we know, obviously it is hard to know for sure that everything is going to work,” Amorim told Sky Sports.

"But we need to be certain with the players that we bring in, if we are not sure, if everyone is not aligned, it is better not to bring anyone and work with the players that we have. 

"That is clear for me. Maybe I should be different, like so many other managers, but that is my thinking for the club and I think the board thinks that, too. 

"We cannot make the same mistakes we did in the past and we need to survive these moments because we have players coming back from internationals and injury.”

Amorim is on the verge of competing his first full year in charge of United as they wrap up 2025 with league fixtures against Newcastle United on Boxing Day and winless Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday 30 December.

The 40-year-old was appointed as Erik ten Hag’s successor on 1 November 2024 and steered United to a 15th-place finish last season - the club’s lowest league position since 1989-90.

However, United have been in much better form this term, with Amorim’s men currently seventh in the table and just three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea.