Both Mainoo, 20, and Zirkzee, 24, are reportedly keen to leave Old Trafford in the new year due to their lack of game time this season and their desire to play in the 2026 World Cup, but the United manager has stressesd he will prioritise the needs of the Red Devils when the next transfer window opens.

Speaking with at a news conference, he said: “The first thing is that the club comes first, so we have to think about the club and the team, and then everything can happen, I was a football player. I understand everything, and I want to help my players in every situation.

“So I don’t know what is going to happen, I want my players happy, I understand the frustration of some players, seeing that the World Cup is there, and I know what it means for the World Cup, but Manchester United comes first.

“So if I can help the club and the players, I will be happy, if not I have to think about the team.”

So far, Amorim has leaned heavily on Casemiro, 33, and Bruno Fernandes, 31, and has admitted Manuel Ugarte, 24, has been “struggling” to adapt to the Premier League.

When asked if he had been surprised by the midfielder’s performances, the head coach said: “No, I understand. You can sense that a lot of very good players come here, and sometimes they struggle, and they are struggling, he is struggling in the moment.

“But it is our job to try to help our players, and again, everything can change, and you saw it five weeks ago, the environment [at the club] was completely different.

“So I know that Ugarte is struggling in the moment, and my job is trying to help him to feel as a player, like I felt when he was a Sporting player, for example, but it is a different world, and he needs to adapt, and he needs to improve, especially in training.”