Ruben Amorim: Manchester United don’t need a big squad with no Champions League football next season

Manchester United will invest in new players this summer, but without Champions League football next season, the club does not need a big squad, says Ruben Amorim.

United recorded their worst-ever Premier League campaign after finishing 15th in the table, losing 18 games in the process, and defeat to Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League final means no European football next season.

As a result of having fewer matches to play next season, Amorim – who is hoping to bring Wolves forward Matheus Cunha to the club – wants to operate with a smaller squad that will be easier to manage next season.

“We always prepare two plans,” said the Portuguese at the start of the club’s preseason tour of Malaysia and Hong Kong. “With and without the Champions League. Without the Champions League, we also don’t need a big squad.

“We can control the squad in a better way. Then we have a plan, that is to bring in some new players, but our big plan is to improve the team we have, to improve the Academy.

“It was the past, so it can be the future. It can’t change much because of Financial Fair Play, we are not allowed to do much, even with the Champions League, so we are prepared.”

Having overseen a “disastrous” campaign at Old Trafford, in the manager’s own words, Amorim says last season is now behind him as he and his players start to look forward.

“It was important to finish the season, we needed to close that chapter,” he said. “It’s not fully behind us because I have one row of English journalists waiting for the hard questions, so I will rest from that when we finish the tour.

“To tell you the truth, I closed that chapter, I’m excited, I’m nervous, I want to work to the next season, I don’t have that feeling that I need to disconnect, I had the feeling to close the season, but now it’s a new season, so I am excited at the same moment.

“So, I don’t need rest, I just need to prepare for the next season.”

While predicting there will still be some more hiccups to contend with along the way, Amorim also thinks there is light at the end of the tunnel.

“It’s important to stick together,” he said. “We are going to struggle, it’s not going to be everything right away, but I can see the team improving and that’s the most important thing.

“Our target, I will not tell you now. If you want a target, it is to win the first game, then we will see. We have a lot to do during this summer, we have to prepare the team.

“Again, when are you are in Man Utd, people are going to expect us to be on the top, but we have to understand the context, so I do not want the team to think of a big target, just the small target of winning the first game, then we pass to the second game.”

Meanwhile, not participating in Europe next season could be a positive for United as Amorim looks to build team unity going forward.

“I have to say that for us not to be in the Champions League could be an advantage to perform well, to perform better the games, to build that core that we need for the future,” he explained.

“So, it is a good thing for us to take advantage of not having European games.”

Amorim: It is important we keep Fernandes this summer

Amorim has also stressed the importance of keeping Bruno Fernandes at United this summer as rumours begin to circulate regarding his future at Old Trafford.

Sky Sports News reported Fernandes is eager to stay at the club, but the captain did admit that the club could “cash in” on him after losing the Europa League final.

Fernandes has recently been linked with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, which led to Amorim stressing that United should try to keep “one of the top players in the world”.

The United boss has now reinforced this point, saying: “You can see by the performance, the leadership, the passion he has for the games. So it is really important, especially in these kind of moments.

“You could see that in the last game. I felt that the team was without pressure; they performed quite well and everybody wanted the ball.

“The team has different moments and in different moments, Bruno [Fernandes] is the one who really wants to take responsibility.

“He should be because he is the captain, so he’s really important for us and really important for what we want to build with this team.”