By Ben Mattinson

With Rúben Amorim’s move to Manchester United looking inevitable, his style is going to really suit a few players already at the club. 

Here’s five of the main beneficiaries of Amorim ball, as United looks to climb up the Premier League table and battle for three trophies.

Lisandro Martínez

Amorim plays with a three-at-the-back set-up where the wide center backs play a huge role in build up play out the back. Often Amorim played Gonçalo Inácio as the LCB who had heavy build-up responsibilities. Amorim would maximize Inácio’s line-breaking passing and clever carries through midfield to break through the lines.

These are two strengths of Lisandro Martínez and the three-at-the-back set-up would enable him to do so without being exposed.

Rasmus Højlund

It’s no secret that during Amorim’s time at Sporting, Viktor Gyökeres has become one of the most deadly strikers in Europe. Since moving to Sporting last summer for €24m, Gyökeres has scored 59 goals and got 19 assists in only 65 games. To put this into perspective, at Coventry City, he scored 43 goals and got 17 assists in 116 games.

A huge reason for this is Amorim’s system is geared around progressing the ball quickly and playing on the transition which leads to a lot of passes in behind for Gyökeres to run onto. Since Højlund has been at Man United, he’s not had enough creativity around him and not enough passes in behind. However, under Ruben Amorim, that could change drastically.

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Amad Diallo

Amad has had a tough time since joining Man United. He’s done well out on loan at Rangers and Sunderland but when he returned he wasn’t given many opportunities in the first team despite both Sancho and Antony struggling in his position. Whenever he’s played, Diallo has shown glimpses of technical brilliance and ability in tight spaces.

He’s excellent at creating separation in crowded areas to sneak off shots and has the 1v1 ability of a winger mixed with the creativity of a #10. This is almost an exact description of Sporting’s Marcus Edwards. Amorim used him as a right-sided #10 behind Gyökeres and this is where Diallo could have a lot of success.

Bruno Fernandes

Another Sporting and Manchester United connection is club captain Bruno Fernandes. There’s a big divide amongst fanbases on their opinions of Bruno Fernandes, although there’s arguments about his attitude at times, you can’t argue his quality in the final third.

As a creative player and as a goal-threat, he’s world class, but Fernandes has been a part of some poor Manchester United teams. The third component of Amorim’s front three at Sporting was Pedro Gonçalves. Playing the role of a creative left-sided #10 who thrives in the pockets, shooting from distance and facilitating for Gyökeres.

This could be the perfect position to get the best out of Bruno Fernandes.

Leny Yoro

Ruben Amorim’s set-up at Sporting consists of a back three where all three center backs have heavy build-up responsibility. Although he’s missed a lot of football through injury, Leny Yoro was a top signing for Man Utd. and will be an integral part of Amorim’s backline. Yoro’s ability defending 1v1’s, wide channels and as the last man will be useful for both the RCB and CCB position.

The wide center backs under Amorim are very progressive either through passing through the lines, wide down the line, switches or carries into midfield. Yoro showed expertise in his ball progression and even previously played in midfield. Playing Yoro as a RCB will enable Amorim to utilize his aggressiveness off the ball to be front-footed in winning the ball back and build up from the back.