Ruben Amorim can complete 'no-brainer' transfer to solve big Manchester United problem

It has been well-documented that Ruben Amorim is expected to change formation and tactics when he arrives at Manchester United.

The 39-year-old was quickly identified as the top candidate to replace Erik ten Hag in the Old Trafford hot seat, though his appointment comes with the uncomfortable truth that he is inheriting a squad that isn't exactly in his ideal vision.

In the long run, Amorim will be backed in the transfer market to put his own stamp on the side, but in his debut campaign, he will have to work with what he has already, which could hamper how quickly his side get up to speed. The likes of Manuel Ugarte, Bruno Fernandes and Diogo Dalot could all be big winners from his appointment, though there is an obvious concern about one aspect of his 3-4-3 approach.

Amorim puts a lot of emphasis on wing-backs in his tactical set-up, who are encouraged to push forward at every opportunity, but also drop deep to defend when out of possession. On the ball, he can effectively adopt a more familiar 4-2-2-2 approach, but off the ball, his side typically adopt a 5-4-1 formation and try to nullify opponents with a low-block.

The defensive duties of the wide roles mean United's current crop of wingers might not be well-suited to the widest positions in the team, with Amorim more likely to prefer attack-minded defenders there. Diogo Dalot and Noussair Mazraoui can both do the role on the right, but the left-back role continues to be a problem position ahead of his appointment.

Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia are both hoping to be fit for Amorim's first match in charge away at Ipswich, but given their recent injury issues, it would be wrong to rely on either of them as a long-term option in his desired style of play. Shaw is certainly the better equipped of the two to star in a left wing-back role, but even if he does, there are serious concerns about the quality of cover they have.

Harry Amass is yet to make his debut for the club and the pressure should be eased on him given Ten Hag had concerns about his lack of physicality at first-team level. There is one solution though: Álvaro Fernández Carreras.

As part of the deal to sell him to Benfica in the summer, United also included a sell-on and a buy-back clause to ensure they protected his long-term valuation given that he was sold for an initial low fee. ManchesterWorld understand that while the general release clause in Fernadez's deal stands at €50 million, United negotiated their own individual buyback clause for a much lower fee. United can activate their right to buyback Fernandez for as little as €20m and they have another two years in which to trigger it before it expires in the 2026 summer transfer window.

The 21-year-old was not an obvious fit in Erik ten Hag's style of play, but under Amorim, there is a much more compelling argument to sign the young wing-back again, given he would clearly solve a key problem position for a relatively low fee.

Even if he only proves to be an understudy for Shaw initially, it is hard to see any other wing-back on the market who has so much potential for such a low fee, never mind one who is already familiar with the expectations of United as well as the standard required to play regularly in Portugal.

A deal to bring Fernandez back to the club made sense even when Ten Hag was in charge. With Amorim at the helm it is an absolute no-brainer.