Manchester

Ruben Amorim will have "a real problem" keeping his strikers on side after Manchester United allowed Marcus Rashford and Antony leave on loan and failed to sign any replacements during the transfer window, says former Premier League forward Chris Sutton.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Sutton said he would not be surprised if the remaining attackers "think about not applying themselves" for the rest of this season.

"If you are Joshua Zirkzee or Rasmus Hojlund and you're seeing Kobbie Mainoo - who is a really excellent footballer but isn't a centre-forward or false nine - being picked, you are thinking: 'How on earth is he playing in front of me?'

"That is a real problem. Amorim is basically telling the pair of them that he doesn't rate them in any way, shape or form.

"He could lose these two players, mentally, for the rest of the season now and they might think about not applying themselves."

Ex-England winger Theo Walcott added: "Managers sometimes do this to test players. They want to see whether the player is with them or not.

"It's going to be interesting to see how Manchester United do cope with this. I just think it's an interesting dynamic for Amorim to make, particularly if he is so fixed on this formation."

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Phil McNulty
Chief football writer

Image source, Getty Images

There will be widespread consternation among fans that Manchester United leave the transfer window with their already slim attacking options even thinner than when it opened.

After effectively wiping Marcus Rashford from his mind, Ruben Amorim's decision to play midfielder Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine against Crystal Palace, ahead of expensive recognised forwards Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee, delivered a damning verdict of how little he feels he has at his disposal with that pair.

This lack of a striker will be the biggest talking point of a United transfer window that brutally outlined their reduced circumstances, mocking their status as the world's third-richest football club.

Given United's current financial status and the requirement to stay on the right side of Profit and Sustainability rules, the bottom line was that they could not make a statement signing without a statement sale.

There was even talk that Mainoo - one of Old Trafford's crown jewels as well as a homegrown product - and Alejandro Garnacho could be sold to create wriggle room elsewhere in the markets.

Amorim has kept the young duo, with the big plus coming in the shape of a new five-and-a-half-year contract for Amad Diallo.

Patrick Dorgu was the only major incoming, while fellow defender Ayden Heaven was taken away from Arsenal.

Though Old Trafford's new hierarchy can say, with justification, they were in something of a no-win situation, this has been a transfer window as underwhelming as United's season so far.

How do you rate United's transfer window? Was the hierarchy in a no-win situation? And where does it leave Amorim and his team for the rest of the campaign?

Let us know here

Josh Lobley
BBC Sport Researcher

Image source, Getty Images

Before Manchester United's first game of this season - their 1-0 victory over Fulham - they had eight recognised forwards in their squad. Fast forward to present day and that number has shrunk to four.

The departures of Jadon Sancho, Marcus Rashford, Antony and Ethan Wheatley over the past six months leaves Ruben Amorim with just two wingers and two strikers at his disposal - Alejandro Garnacho, Amad Diallo, Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee.

Considering United have only outscored four Premier League teams so far this season, it seems - on the face of it - an odd decision to let three forwards leave in January alone without bringing in a single replacement.

It was always going to be unrealistic for the Red Devils to bring in their dream attacker - whoever that may be - in a historically difficult winter window, but the lack of attacking reinforcements is likely to be a cause of concern among many supporters.

Bruno Fernandes, and more recently Kobbie Mainoo, have both been experimented in forward roles, but that creates another issue by leaving the midfield sparse.

New recruit Patrick Dorgu has played in the frontline for Lecce this season, but it seems Amorim wants him to take up the left wing-back role. Asking him to play further forward takes the squad back to square one in the full-back department.

Could it be time for some of the forwards in the academy to step up? Or are the club keeping fingers crossed their limited frontline will stay injury free? Either way, it is a risky strategy.

Manchester United may sit low in the Premier League table, but they still have two cup competitions to fight for. Their season is by no means over, and they need all the help they can get.

Former Premier League striker Chris Sutton says Aston Villa have taken "a risk" signing Marcus Rashford on loan from Manchester United, adding he believes the 27-year-old has "a lot to prove" at Villa Park.

Speaking on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club, Sutton said: "We will find out, won't we? I think Marcus has a lot to prove, and I wouldn't normally say that about a player like him. It is a risk from Aston Villa.

"Unai Emery feels he can get Marcus fully focused again and, if that happens, there is no doubting the ability he has.

"Marcus Rashford is on trial because there is the option for him to move permanently in the summer."

The Athletic's chief soccer correspondent Rory Smith added: "It is about Rashford finding an environment where he can thrive again. The allegation from Ruben Amorim was that he is not trying in training, but we don't know exactly what that means.

"There are suggestions his personal life has become a bit of an obstacle for him to overcome. But because that is all whisper and gossip, we don't fully know.

"Either way, it was clear it wasn't changing at Manchester United, so maybe you need to just go somewhere else."

Watch Monday Night Club on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

Forward Marcus Rashford is unlikely to play for Manchester United again after his loan move to Aston Villa because the relationship between the 27-year-old and the Old Trafford side is close to irreparable. (Guardian), external

Napoli coach Antonio Conte is disappointed the club were not able to sign Manchester United winger Alejandro Garnacho after selling Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to Paris St-Germain. (Sky Sports Italia, via Football Italia), external

United and Bayern Munich both wanted France forward Christopher Nkunku in January but ended their interest because of Chelsea's valuation of the 27-year-old. (Mail), external

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Manchester City midfielder Jacob Wright has joined Norwich City on loan for the remainder of the season.

The 19-year-old has made four senior appearances under Pep Guardiola, all of which have come from the bench, having been part of City's academy since he was aged eight.