Ruben Amorim feared his football career would be cruelly snatched away before it had started. On the astroturf pitches of Clube Atletico e Cultural, overlooked by tower blocks and a rickety stand, his hopes were fading.

Quite the task awaits Amorim given underperforming United entered the weekend 13th in the Premier League standings with a paltry four wins from their opening 11 matches. They are long since out of the race for a title they last won in 2013,

Manchester United are hoping to kickstart the Ruben Amorim era in style with a blockbuster move for a highly-rated Brazilian international Ederson from Serie A side Atalanta. The Europa League winner is considered to be one of the very best defensive midfielders in Italian football and has been a revelation in Serie A for the last four seasons since arriving from Brazilian side Corinthians in 2021.