Ruben Amorim spoke to reporters on Saturday and there was a hint dropped on the future of Alejandro Garnacho.
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Garnacho has been told to find a new club.(Image: 2025 Manchester United FC)
Shortly before it emerged that Alejandro Garnacho had been informed to find a new club this summer, Ruben Amorim answered two questions about him at a press conference.
Amorim was non-committal about Garnacho and insisted his focus was on facing Aston Villa.
Then Amorim was asked about Garnacho again in the embargoed section, and he reiterated: "Guys, everything I have to say, I say it to the players, I did that in the past and you know.
"I’ve been here for six months and continue to do that, so let’s focus on the next game."
Amorim could have revealed that Garnacho's time was up in Manchester, but he preferred to give a diplomatic answer on his future, which some of his predecessors wouldn't have done.
Now that the cat is out of the bag, Amorim might be more forthcoming about Garnacho in his post-Aston Villa press conference because it's bound to be at the top of the agenda on Sunday.
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Amorim has made a decision on Garnacho. He made a decision on Marcus Rashford in December. All United managers worth their salt need to be capable of making such seismic decisions.
Only time will tell whether Amorim has made the right decision on Garnacho, and he was ironically asked about academy graduates succeeding after leaving the club on Saturday afternoon.
The likes of Scott McTominay, Dean Henderson and Anthony Elanga have enjoyed tremendous seasons, and Amorim admitted their performances serve as a 'warning' about selling academy graduates.
"It's always a warning because we need to get the recruitment right, that is clear," Amorim said. "And again, some players played here and they had opportunities and then they go away and they flourish.
"That can happen. We need to look at our team, imagine a way of playing, put the right players in position to improve as a team because if one team is playing well, all the players are going to play well.
"So we need to build a strong core to have to support all the kids that come from the academy, and we have a lot to do, but that is normal because they are quality players. They go to some places and they flourish. That can happen."
Amorim discussed the pitfalls of selling graduates on the same day he informed Garnacho, one of the biggest recent success stories from the academy, that he should find a new club.
That suggests Amorim is comfortable and at ease with his decision to move him on this summer.
Chelsea and Napoli were interested in Garnacho in January.
(Image: Rob Newell - CameraSport via Getty Images.)
United will have to reinvest the money they receive for Garnacho, but there has been little evidence that the club can recruit well. "Of course, I believe and we are improving," said Amorim about signing players.
"We are improving in the data that we want. We have a rule that is not just a manager that chooses, there has to be connection. There is no player that comes here without my approval, but the opposite is the same. That is important for not just one manager to control everything.
"We are putting all these things to improve the recruitment. For me, the important thing in the recruitment is to know how we are going to play, and that is really clear, and you can see we have a new point every time the way we play, but we have a clear idea how to play.
"If you have a clear idea how to play, you can point the specific players that you want for that position, and that is clear, and we are doing that together with all the data, the physical data to cope with the demands of the Premier League.
"All these things are taken care of, so we want to improve and sometimes you don't have 100 per cent certainty because you have the adaptation to every player, but we are doing all the steps to improve on that aspect of our club."
Amorim has taken on a huge challenge in Manchester, the extent of which he wasn't aware of until he actually walked through the door. "I already talked about that. I didn’t regret," Amorim said.
"I suffer like any Mancunian suffers to see all the things. Yes, the problems for me was deeper than I was thinking because I can watch, I can feel it during trainings at Carrington, all our organisation, then it’s not the problems, but the stability in our club. Everybody is changing.
"All the departments are changing, so we did that in one year. In six months, we are doing everything, so everything is more difficult, but I think we are getting some steps to improve things. You cannot see that because results are so poor, but we are in a better place, that I can guarantee you."
When asked if United are now in a better position, Amorim said: "I think it’s healthier, it’s a way to put it. You cannot see it with the results, we have worse results, but I think we are in a better place as a club with the small things that will be big things in the future.
"So it’s hard to explain everything. I don’t want to touch on every point, but yes, we are in a better place. I am not happier because it’s impossible to be happier, especially after Wednesday and with our results and form in the league.
"So I’m not happier, I am suffering like everybody, but I know what we are doing and that gives me positivity and confidence for the future. It’s hard to explain [having confidence].
"I know you guys are talking all the time and people don’t just want to hear the same things. I think I have the same principles, I have the same rules. With winning, that I knew because winning in Portugal is a different world to winning in England.
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"But even losing, I have the same idea, the same rules and I know what way we want to do it, what kind of players we want, so that gives me confidence because I don’t lose myself. I know what to do, and then time will tell with results because that will need to change."
Amorim's press conference will be worth listening to again after Aston Villa on Sunday evening.