Manchester United ‘insiders’ at Old Trafford have reportedly revealed the situation unfolding at the Premier League club for Ruben Amorim ahead of the start of ACON.
Ruben Amorim could face a real challenge on his shoulders in the coming weeks, with Manchester United set to lose three key first-team players to the tournament.
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Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui are set to represent Cameroon, the Ivory Coast and Morocco respectively at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations.
However, United manager Amorim on Friday had been left waiting to find out the future of the aforementioned trio amid the looming start of the AFCON tournament.
United are hopeful of keeping Bryan Mbeumo, Amad Diallo and Noussair Mazraoui for the Bournemouth clash on Monday before they head off for AFCON duties.
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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is interviewed after a press conference at the Carrington training complex in 2025 in Manchester, England.
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Man Utd insiders reveal where the Premier League club stands on the 2026 January window amid the 2025 AFCON tournament
The latest edition of the Africa Cup of Nations will begin on Sunday next week and host nation Morocco will be in action against Comoros in their Group A clash.
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Morocco competing first at AFCON means that Noussair Mazraoui is the most likely to leave Manchester United first out of him, Bryan Mbeumo and Amad Diallo.
The Red Devils have been reduced to one Premier League match per week without European football and United’s humiliating Carabao Cup exit back in August.
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However, even Ruben Amorim will miss the influence of United’s trio of AFCON-bound players, especially standout performer Mbeumo and the versatile Amad.
According to BBC Sport, ‘club sources’ at Old Trafford have suggested that a ‘quiet window’ could happen for United in the 2026 January transfer market.
However, the news outlet added that the forthcoming January window could be ‘shaped’ by what unfolds over the course of the AFCON tournament.
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BBC Sport added that United insiders claimed that the ‘last two weeks’ ahead of the January 2026 transfer window could ‘turn out to be quite busy.’
But Sir Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos cannot be complacent about making early transfers if they are needed rather than waiting for the final moments of the window.
Amorim is likely to lose his AFCON-bound United trio until January, but even then, it could depend on how far each of their countries progresses in the tournament.
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Mbeumo, Amad and Mazraoui’s eventual return to Old Trafford could take even longer if the three United players need to rest up before being reintegrated.
A key objective for Amorim is to secure European football for next season and United are currently in the top-four picture, defying the expectations of many.
All it takes is a wobble in momentum and United’s hopes of getting back into the Champions League for the 2026-27 season could all fall apart in moments.
United should roll the dice in the transfer window early on, even if that means securing only a six-month loan deal for a player until the end of the season.
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