Ruben Amorim has alarming problem looming large as six Man Utd stars free to talk to clubs

Ruben Amorim needs all the leaders he can get in his Manchester United dressing room at the start of what promises to be a challenging rebuild project at Old Trafford. However, the Portuguese head coach has inherited an instant problem ahead of six players’ contract expiries at the season’s end.

Now that 2025 has arrived, players who have entered the final six months of their current deals are free to negotiate pre-contract agreements with overseas clubs.

Amad, Harry Maguire, Christian Eriksen, Victor Lindelof, Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton are in that category, naturally drawing uncertainty over their futures.

United have the option to extend Amad and Maguire’s contracts by 12 months, but Eriksen, Lindelof, Evans and Heaton are all expected to depart as free agents.

If the M16 giants don’t trigger the clause in Maguire’s deal and he leaves alongside the experienced quartet, a chunk of Amorim’s leadership core would evaporate.

The England international turns 32 in March and earns £200,000-a-week. Given the club’s ruthless cost-cutting measures under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s stewardship, an exit isn’t off the cards.

While United aren’t expected to be active in January without sales due to financial limitations, a significant summer is on the cards ahead of Amorim’s first full season at the helm.

The 39-year-old would have to replace any lost experience and inject his squad with youthful quality, ready to make an instant impact and lift his side from their rut.

No sign of new terms for Amad will be a concern for supporters, considering the 22-year-old winger’s importance this season.

He has started 10 of United’s last 13 games and will be one of the first names on Amorim’s teamsheet after a series of critical contributions.

A month ago, Amorim claimed that all parties wanted to agree on a new contract and guaranteed that they would “find a solution.”

On Amad’s suitability as a wing-back in his 3-4-3 system, he added: “Because of his left foot.

“It’s sometimes in that position, the way he receives the ball, if you are right footed, sometimes you don’t have the space to come inside.

“But we have, for example, [Noussair] Mazraoui and [Diogo] Dalot can go inside because they are fast and strong with the ball. But we chose Amad to have one against one outside.

“And that is very important to break some pressures, especially high pressures, and he has that ability. And then, in that position, you need to have good physicality.

“Good physicality is not the size, but he can run. And that is a key point in that position. So you try to choose players that you can put in that position, and then the technical characteristics are perfect for him.”