Ruben Amorim 'eyeing ex-Man City star' who took aim at Guardiola as first Man Utd signing

Ruben Amorim reportedly wants to bring a former Manchester City player who publicly blasted Pep Guardiola to Old Trafford. The former Sporting boss arrived at United on Monday ahead of his first game in charge after the international break.

Amorim will already be thinking about potential January signings, with the winter transfer window only a matter of weeks away. He could reportedly spring a surprise with his first acquisition if everything goes to plan at the turn of the year.

Juventus captain Danilo has emerged as a target for United after falling out of favour in Turin, according to Gazzetta dello Sport. He will be out of contract at the end of the season, meaning he will be free to enter pre-contract talks with non-Italian clubs in January.

Alternatively, he could join United straight away if they are willing to pay a fee, with Juventus said to prefer the idea of selling him for a reduced price as opposed to losing him for nothing.

Danilo played for City between 2017 and 2019, struggling to impress at the Etihad Stadium despite making a promising start. In his first season, he made 23 league appearances as Guardiola’s men became the first title winners to earn 100 points.

Things went downhill for Danilo in his second season, with the defender restricted to just 11 league games as he was troubled by injuries. He was shipped to Juventus at the end of the campaign in a part-exchange deal which saw Joao Cancelo go the other way.

After leaving City, Danilo publicly admitted that he struggled to get along with Guardiola due to the Spaniard’s obsessive nature.

Speaking to Repubblica, he said: “It’s true, it’s not easy to have a good relationship with him. He is never relaxed, he thinks about football all the time. I think at home, in the evening, he puts his wife on the couch as if she were a player on the pitch.”

It remains to be seen if United will land Danilo in January or if they will sign him on a pre-contract agreement ready for next season. They might not pursue him at all, with Amorim said to be evaluating a number of other potential defensive signings.

His main priority will be to make a winning start as United’s new manager, with a potential banana skin coming up in his very first game. They will face Ipswich, who beat Tottenham over the weekend, when Premier League football returns later this month.