After a few weeks on the job, the scale of the task ahead will have become clear to Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim.
The Portuguese coach took over in mid-November after the sacking of Erik ten Hag, hoping to revitalise a team that finished a record-low 8th in the Premier League table last year.
Though there have been some encouraging signs - none more than the derby win at the Etihad - it is clear that things could well get worse before they get better for United. They now sit 14th in the league table, having lost six games in a calendar month for the first time since 1930, and their form is so poor that a relegation battle has been posed as a real possibility.
Things are dire at Old Trafford, and reports suggest that Amorim is set to make a major transfer U-turn that sums up how urgently he views their slide down the table.
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Ruben Amorim reportedly demands United sign Viktor Gyokeres
Reports in the UK suggest that Ruben Amorim has demanded that Manchester United pursue Viktor Gyokeres from his former club Sporting during the January transfer window.
Swedish striker Gyokeres was brought to Sporting by Amorim in the summer of 2023, scoring 43 goals in 50 games en route to the golden boot, league title, and Player of the Season accolades. His impressive form has continued this campaign, with his Champions League hat-trick against Manchester City the highlight of his 26 goals in 24 games thus far.
The Daily Star report that Amorim has asked Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS to make a move for Gyokeres in January. The Swede is believed to have a release clause of £80 million in his Sporting contract. It remains to be seen if cash-strapped United can sanction such a move this January, though the potential sales of Marcus Rashford and Joshua Zirkzee could help with funding the transfer.
If true, the reports show just how dimly Amorim views the situation is at Manchester United.
Upon arriving at Old Trafford, Amorim assured fans of his former club that United would not be raiding Lisbon for Sporting CP players in January. He did not rule out making the odd move for his former players once the summer window hit, but he was adamant that no such moves would be made in the winter.
If Amorim has indeed sanctioned a move for Gyokeres this month, it shows just how urgently he feels he needs to get a grip on his team's rapidly declining form.
Things will not get any easier for Manchester United and Ruben Amorim. Their next league assignment is a daunting away day against table-toppers Liverpool, before an FA Cup third round trip to Arsenal.
Relegation remains an extreme outside possibility but, should United fail to arrest their slide, it will become an ever greater fear as the season progresses.
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