With the presence of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko, Manchester United's starting lineup has almost taken shape. In defense, they still have many rotation options - which is almost mandatory when most of the M.U defenders had to take a long break from competition last season.
However, the most worrying area for the "Red Devils" is in the center of midfield. Throughout the summer of 2025, their press conferences have emphasized the goal of recruiting another strong, dynamic and technically rich midfielder.
Brighton's Carlos Baleba has recently been on the cards for Man United, despite the expected high fee. But this is not a new problem. For many years, the "Red Devils" have always lacked a real "owner" in the midfield and have not been able to solve it yet.
Currently, the possible options include Bruno Fernandes, Kobbie Mainoo, Casemiro and Manuel Ugarte, while Toby Collyer is likely to be on loan. Last season showed that finding the perfect pair in this midfield was almost an impossible task.
Most Man United fans want Mainoo to be a regular choice, thanks to his calmness when holding the ball and impressive pressing ability. He is considered the most suitable for one of the two central midfield positions. However, if Cunha and Mbeumo play higher, Amorim will have to find a place for Fernandes.
Fernandes, with his position and experience, is of course above Mainoo in the decentralization system. Amorim has shown reluctance to let these two players pair up - both last season and pre-season. The reason is that both of them are not outstanding in terms of defense and physical strength.
In fact, the most likely pair at the moment are still Fernandes and Casemiro or Manuel Ugarte. But these are not ideal options. Amorim does not seem to fully trust Ugarte in the two-man midfield formation, as evidenced by the fact that he was not a starts in the Europa League final last season.
The Uruguayan player was solid in defense and could be an effective "sweener", but lacked calmness, the ability to pass the ball and regulate the pace of the match. That was clearly shown in the last friendly match in the US against Everton, when he repeatedly made mistakes in passing the ball and had the ball stolen, leading to an equalizer.
Casemiro, despite being technical and dangerous in set-pieces, has shown a lack of pace in the Premier League in the last two seasons. At the age of 33, there is little basis to believe that he will adapt better in the 2025-2026 season.
Last season, opponents had taken the ball into the final third of Man United's pitch in 541 transition situations. This is the sixth worst number in the league, reflecting the fragility in midfield of the Old Trafford team.
Finding a balancing formula for midfield will be the most difficult problem for Amorim. This could be the biggest obstacle on the journey to awaken the sleeping giant.
