Ruben Amorim reveals his plans after Manchester United miss out on European football

“We have two plans for the market, and we have to understand it is tough for a club like ours not to be in the Champions League. But we have to use the other side. We have more time to work during the week on the Premier League, and that will be our focus.”

The club now finds themselves at a crossroads of unexpected proportions. The lack of continental competition hits both sporting and financially, and will condition any movement in the summer. The planning mentioned by Amorim sounds sensible, but it is not enough. Talk of having ‘more time to work’ may sound logical, but it may also be a disguise for a summer limited by a lack of resources and interest from top players.

Manchester United need more than patience. They must show clear signs of rebuilding. A squad clean-up seems inevitable, but with no income from Europe and pressure for immediate results, the task will not be easy. Players like Liam Delap and Rayan Cherki might reconsider their enthusiasm if they do not see a serious project now with the lack of European football. Amorim will have to convince not only the board, but also of the credibility of the project.

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Recent history shows that the club cannot rely solely on big names; it needs an identity. Without Europe, the spotlight will move to the domestic performances, where the margin for error will be minimal. Perhaps that is a hidden advantage: fewer distractions, less travelling, more concentration. But if the sporting management does not move with clarity, all that free time will become a mirror of frustration.

Another possible reading is that this absence will serve to break with certain inertias. The club have lived too long on a reputation built by others. Perhaps without the pressure of Europe, and with Amorim from the start with a pre-season, they can plant something more solid. What comes next will be decisive; the margin is exhausted. The name is no longer enough.