The three biggest winners and losers in the Man Utd squad if Ruben Amorim is appointed manager

Ruben Amorim is on the verge of becoming Erik ten Hag's permanent successor at Manchester United as talks continue, but which players will benefit from his arrival?

The 39-year-old looks destined for the Old Trafford hot seat. In fact, Amorim's move is imminent, according to Portuguese outlet A Bola, who claim three representatives from United will travel to Lisbon on Tuesday to 'close an agreement' with the highly-rated coach.

Widespread reports suggest talks are at an advanced stage, with United working towards getting Amorim in place ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against Chelsea.

So who will be a first-team regular under the Portuguese coach, and who could fall down the pecking order? We have already predicted how United could line-up under Amorim in his preferred 3-4-3 formation with attacking wing-backs.

We know Amorim favours an aggressive press and a high defensive line, which gives Leny Yoro – the club's £52 million summer signing from Lille – a distinct advantage as he possesses the necessary pace to recover quickly.

After making significant progress on the training pitch in recent weeks following a serious foot injury, Yoro could feature in a back three alongside Lisandro Martinez and Matthijs de Ligt in the not-so-distant future.

So who else could benefit? Manuel Ugarte is an obvious choice. The Uruguayan established himself as one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe under Amorim before he joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.

Ugarte's familiarity with the 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 system will no doubt prove vital as United try and improve in defensive areas. The fact that he recorded the second-best tackles-per-90 rate in Europe's top five leagues last season speaks volumes. He will be pivotal.

In terms of attacking players who could flourish in Amorim's system, the Portuguese often uses a pacey winger who can dribble [Garnacho/Amad Diallo], and an attacking midfielder who can create chances behind his striker. Step forward, Bruno Fernandes.

Rather than occupying the two midfield roles – which tend to be a box-to-box midfielder [Mainoo] and a ball-winning midfielder [Ugarte/Casemiro], Fernandes would be a creative outlet behind the striker [Hojlund].

Fernandes typically drops into the half-spaces to receive the ball where he can find more room to maneuver, but being pushed into more forward positions could help United discover some much-needed form in front of goal.

Image credit: Getty

Image credit: Getty

Amorim will have some difficult decisions to make if he does get the job. Erik ten Hag spent north of £600 million on players, bringing in Casemiro for £70m, Mason Mount for £64m and Antony – his most expensive signing – for a fee of around £86m.

After a promising start to his United career, the Brazilian was often reduced to substitute appearances under Ten Hag, who recently urged the player to show consistency in training to win back his place.

If Amorim employs a 3-4-2-1 formation, which often requires wing-backs instead of natural wingers, Antony could struggle as competition for places increases in his position. That being said, he could drop back to a left wing-back role if needed.

On the subject of wide players, Marcus Rashford may have to step up his game if he wants a place in Amorim's starting line-up.

As mentioned earlier, Amorim tends to use a winger who can dribble and cross, and an attacking midfielder who can create chances in his 3-4-3 system. Alejandro Garnacho and Amad have shown glimpses this season, while Rashford has yet to hit the ground running.

Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, meanwhile, are more likely to be deployed in that target man role Viktor Gyokeres has made his own at Sporting.

Image credit: Getty

Zirkzee, another Ten Hag signing, is still finding his feet at Old Trafford following a £36.5m move from Bologna but like Rashford, competition for places could be about to become intense – especially if Amorim is reunited with Gyokeres.