Lee Sharpe: The wheels won’t stop turning at Man Utd if Bruno leaves

Former Manchester United winger Lee Sharpe has told NewBettingSites.uk that even though Bruno Fernandes will be missed if he leaves United in January, the club has lost players just as good, if not better, and still kept the wheels in motion.

Speaking to NewBettingSites.uk, Sharpe said: “If Bruno Fernandes were to leave the Manchester United in January or next summer, he will be missed, but United have lost players better than him over the years and the club’s still running.

“If he were to leave, it’d open the door for the likes of Kobbie Mainoo as he plays a similar role. It’d also free up some cash to bring in players that they need in various positions.

“He would be missed though. The numbers he puts out as a midfielder are incredible. He can score and assist. I’m sure the club will move forward and move on without him, though.”

Sharpe also commented on United’s season so far, particularly branding recent matches as missed opportunities to climb the table.

“It’s been a frustrating couple of weeks for Manchester United,” he said. “They’ve dropped points to West Ham, Everton and now Bournemouth. They could be a lot healthier points-wise and higher up the table. If those results went the way of United, then their mentality now would be a lot different.

“On a good day when you watch United, they look to be a team which you’d expect to be nailed on for the top four this season. There are still a little bit inconsistent but it’s reassuring to see that they’re creating so many chances and scoring lots of goals, they need to just sort out their defensive issues.”

Mainoo should assess his options in January

Sharpe was complimentary of Kobbie Mainoo and says that he should be looking elsewhere to get some more game time, and that it would be in the best interest of United should they send him out on loan to come back next season.

“It’s definitely got to a stage where Kobbie Mainoo has to assess his options in the January transfer window,” he said. “His ability deserves more minutes, particularly the way he performed last season for both United and England.

“He hasn’t been able to get up to speed with the games when he comes on because he hasn’t started. When United are dominating games and it gets a lot tighter, Mainoo is so good in that environment and beating a man and making the splitting pass which can lead to a goal. It’s unfortunate that he hasn’t played so many minutes.

“A move to Italy or Spain would be good for him in January to get him playing again, I don’t think any of the United fans would be upset about that because they like him and want him to play, too. Hopefully he can go out on loan for the second half of the season and then return next summer and fit back into Ruben Amorim’s squad.

“With a World Cup coming up, he’s well within his rights to try and find some first-team football.”

United should strengthen in January

With rumours flying about as the countdown begins to the January transfer window, Sharpe reckons some spots are more important to fill than others.

“Adam Wharton is a top-class player,” said Sharpe. “But it’s not that easy to justify paying £80million for him. Is he better than Mainoo? There’s a lot that comes with playing for Manchester United, irrespective of whether you’ve played in the Premier League or not before. There’s pressure attached to it and Mainoo has grown up through the academy and already has that understanding.

“£80m is a lot of money. If you’re replacing someone like Casemiro then I understand the investment, as it’ll likely sure up the defence, too. It’s a big fee for a holding midfielder but if it’s something United need at the club then that’s fair enough.”

Sharpe also commented on Amorim’s formation change against Bournemouth, unsure as to whether that’ll be a permanent amendment to their playing style.

“Although Ruben Amorim is pretty headstrong in his formation, he did switch it up against Bournemouth and we don’t know whether that was game-specific or for the long term, but that should come clear in the January window,” he said.

“Amad Diallo works really well on the right-hand side, so they need to get someone like him to do the same on the left. Wharton and Elliot Anderson have been mentioned as potential holding midfielders to eventually take the reins off Casemiro, neither of them are bad options.

“I don’t think the manager has put that much faith in Manuel Ugarte, so I wouldn’t be surprised if he was shipped off in the summer. Benjamin Sesko also needs to get more minutes under his belt, but I want to see more of Joshua Zirkzee, there’s a really good player in him. If he got the game time, he could be unbelievable.”