Record Premier League Champions Manchester United have sacked their head coach, Ruben Amorim, after the Portuguese coach spent 13 months at Old Trafford, Soccernet.ng reports.
Former United captain Rio Ferdinand, over the past two seasons, has called for the Red Devils to sign Super Eagles forward Victor Osimhen, and has done so again.
Upon Amorim’s arrival, Rasmus Hojlund, Joshua Zirkzee and Chido Obi-Martin were United’s striking options, and many called for the input of a proven goalscorer to help the club’s troubles in front of goal.
In the summer, Hojlund joined Napoli on a season-long loan, and he’s flourished under Antonio Conte, scoring nine goals across all competitions.
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The three-time UEFA Champions League winners then splashed €76.5m to secure the services of Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig, while Galatasaray spent a record €75m to bring Osimhen from Napoli to RAMS Park.
Manchester United’s goal struggle
In 20 English Premier League games this season, Amorim-led United won eight games, drew seven and lost five. They’ve also scored 34 goals and conceded 30.
His system, whether static or fluid, has always been known for its defensive frailties and profligacy in front of goal.
While many United fans clamoured for the sale of Andre Onana, the club splashed €21m for Senne Lammens from Royal Antwerp, but the big Belgian hasn’t proven to be much of an upgrade.
In attack, two of United’s strikers, Joshua Zirkzee and Benjamin Sesko, have four goals between them, evenly split.
Bryan Mbeumo (6) and Bruno Fernandes (5) have shouldered the goalscoring responsibilities, but the timing of the AFCON 2025 tournament and a hamstring injury have seen the 2017 Europa League winners be without the duo for the last three games.
Rio Ferdinand calls for Victor Osimhen transfer, again
Manchester United’s goal struggle over their past two games has been evident, recording 1-1 draws against a relegation-bound Wolverhampton Wanderers and Leeds United.
Across both fixtures, United created just three big chances, with Zirkzee and Cunha feeding from scraps to find the back of the net.
Rio Ferdinand lifted the English Premier League title six times during his time with Manchester United, and the goalscoring problem has reached a breaking point for the Englishman, who clarified his preference for Victor Osimhen last summer.
While the 47-year-old believes it was a mistake not to bring Osimhen to Old Trafford, he also highlighted Danny Welbeck’s transfer exit as another blunder by his former club.
“I’ve said before they should never have sold Danny Welbeck,” Ferdinand said on his YouTube channel after United’s draw with Leeds.
“I couldn’t believe we let him go. Now we’re seeing why I was adamant about that because he’s doing his thing at Brighton. He’s scoring goals and is a player you can depend on.
“But that ship has sailed, it’s gone now, he’s too old, but we shouldn’t have let him go in the first place.
“We need to go and recruit, or we need players back as soon as possible. It’s one of the two
“I still say we should have signed Victor Osimhen. I don’t want to keep going there, but we should have signed him because there’s no question asked there. It’s just pure experience with him.
“We don’t play the ball into Sesko enough; that’s a big thing. He’s a work in progress, and I think he needs to get the ball more.
“He was a bit loose with it today, but I still think we’re not crossing the ball enough. He should be asking for the ball more and demanding it.
“There’s something there with Sesko, but he needs more time because he’s young and it’s not easy being a number nine for Man United,” the ex-United captain concluded.
While United’s problems in front of goal appear to be a recurring theme, they now face a weightier task in finding a manager who’ll get the best from these players between now and the end of the season.
OFFICIAL: Darren Fletcher takes over Manchester United on interim basis after Rúben Amorim is sacked. pic.twitter.com/T2l8oS54GE
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 5, 2026
Meanwhile, Victor Osimhen has continued to thrive in Galatasaray, scoring six goals in four UEFA Champions League games.
Victor Osimhen is the first ever Galatasaray player to score in seven consecutive games in major European competitions, breaking Burak Yilmaz’s record.
⚽⚽ vs. Tottenham
⚽ vs. AZ Alkmaar
⚽ vs. Dynamo Kyiv
⚽ vs. Ajax
⚽ vs. AZ Alkmaar
⚽ vs. Lverpool
⚽⚽ vs. Bodø /… pic.twitter.com/VCT11zYnTs— Squawka (@Squawka) October 22, 2025
The Super Eagles striker is joint-second with Erling Haaland in the competition’s goalscorers list this season, as Kylian Mbappe leads the pack with nine goals.