Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is prepared to make the tough call if two first-team players approach him over an Old Trafford exit in the January window.
The Red Devils are unlikely to make any major signings in January after Ineos brought five players to the Premier League club in the previous summer window.
Are you confident Manchester United will beat Everton?
mail iconJoin our newsletter for news & smart analysis.
Ruben Amorim saw his Manchester United first-team squad welcome the arrivals of Bryan Mbeumo, Senne Lammens, Benjamin Sesko, Diego Leon and Matheus Cunha.
However, the 40-year-old United manager will see his squad take a major hit in the short term at least, with the start of the Africa Cup of Nations in December.
Amorim is expected to lose star summer signing Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui to the upcoming 2025 edition of the tournament.
READ MORE: Ruben Amorim hints at two future Man Utd transfers in clearest sign to Jason Wilcox about his Sporting philosophy
Ruben Amorim during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in 2025 in London, England.
Photo by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images
Man Utd manager Ruben Amorim asked about the transfer speculation around Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee
Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee have been linked with potential January exits from Old Trafford after struggling for minutes under Ruben Amorim this season.
More United News
Joshua Zirkzee has fallen behind Benjamin Sesko in the pecking order and the 24-year-old Manchester United striker has been heavily linked with Serie A club Roma.
Kobbie Mainoo has lost his place in the Red Devils starting XI after Bruno Fernandes dropped into a deeper role in Amorim’s tactical system for United this season.
How Man Utd’s stars rated when Ruben Amorim’s side beat Everton 4-0 in 2024/25
PlayerRatingsvs Everton 24/25
Speaking at Friday’s pre-match press conference at the Carrington training complex, Amorim admitted that Mainoo and Zirkzee could remain at the Premier League club.
“The club comes first, first place,” he said, as per Manchester United’s official website.
“So, we have to think about the club and the team. Then, everything can happen and, I was a football player, I understand everything.
“I want to help my players in every situation, so I don’t know what is going to happen, I want my players [to be] happy.”
READ MORE: Wayne Rooney’s immediate reaction to Paul Pogba’s return to football with Monaco, ‘he had everything to be…’
Ruben Amorim knows exactly why Kobbie Mainoo and Joshua Zirkzee would want to leave Man Utd
Joshua Zirkzee has only managed five appearances across all competitions for United in the 2025-26 campaign and has not started a single time so far.
Kobbie Mainoo, on the other hand, has only made one start for the Red Devils after playing in United’s humiliating loss to Grimsby Town in the Carabao Cup in August.
However, the 20-year-old Stockport-born talent has not started once in seven Premier League matches for the Red Devils in the current season.
Which Man Utd player has most chance of playing for England at the World Cup?
United manager Amorim said that he is well aware of the desire of different players to ensure that they could play at the 2026 World Cup in North America.
“I understand the frustration of some players, seeing that the World Cup is there, and I know what it means for the World Cup,” he added.
“But Manchester United comes first, so if I can help the club and the players, I will be happy. If not, I have to think about the team.”
United are back in Premier League action on Monday evening for the first time since the end of the November international break, with the Red Devils hosting Everton at Old Trafford.