Amorim sidesteps questions on Fernandes and Garnacho ahead of league finale

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Updated: May 24, 2025, 12:18 pm

VIDEO SHOWS: MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER RUBEN AMORIM PRESS CONFERENCE

RESENDING WITH COMPLETE SCRIPT

SHOWS: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, UK (MAY 24, 2025) (MUTV - Must courtesy "MUTV". No resales. No monetisation)

1. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER RUBEN AMORIM ON EUROPA LEAGUE FINAL SAYING:

"Now was really tough. It still is really tough. I think was harsh for us to lose that game again. I think we were the better team. We had more chances. We suffered a goal near the half time we try everything in the second half, but these were really hard because like I said, also before the match that if you don't win the final it is even harder to deal with that."

2. WHITE FLASH

3. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER RUBEN AMORIM ON GARNACHO'S FUTURE, SAYING:

"I will speak with with my players. But the focus now is the last game. I don't know what is going to happen. We have a plan. We were prepared for both situations. We Champions League without Champions League. We have an idea what what type of squad we want. But now we have to focus on the game because we still have the last game and we will have time to address all that situations."

4. WHITE FLASH

5. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER RUBEN AMORIM ON HOW MUCH TIME HE NEEDS, SAYING:

"No, it's not (transfer) windows. Sometimes we don't know. Things can change fast, but to reach that kind of level that we need to be as a Manchester United is going to take time. But I cannot say how many (transfer) windows, how many years we need to do to reach that point but we can improve. That is clear."

6. WHITE FLASH

7. (SOUNDBITE) (English) MANCHESTER UNITED MANAGER RUBEN AMORIM ON WHAT HE HAS LEARNT, SAYING:

"So I think now is the time that we can use all that suffering to change things in the summer. And when I say in the summer it is not just the players. There's a lot of things that we need to change about the club So we are doing that. We did that for six months. We change in every aspect of our club. So I'm really glad in this moment, we suffered a lot, but I'm really glad that we I arrived six months (ago) because its going to help me a lot in the next season."

STORY: Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim sidestepped questions about the futures of captain Bruno Fernandes and Alejandro Garnacho ahead of their final Premier League match against Aston Villa on Sunday (May 25) that will cap one of the club's worst seasons in history.

After United's costly 1-0 loss to Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday's (May 21) Europa League final, Fernandes said the club might have to sell him, and recent reports have Saudi team Al-Hilal set to offer around 100 million pounds ($135.36 million) for the Portugal international.

A disgruntled Garnacho sounded like he was leaning towards leaving in a social media post after Wednesday's loss, writing: "Up until the final I played every round helping the team, and today I play 20 minutes, I don't know.

"The final will influence (my decision) but the whole season, the situation of the club."

Amorim addressed the media on Saturday (May 24) for the first time since the loss that meant United will not be playing European football next season, and refused to be drawn into conversation about the pair.

"I always speak to my players but the focus now is on the last game," the 40-year-old manager said. "We have a plan and we prepared for both situations, with Champions League and without. Now we have to focus on the last game."

Amorim and his men had hoped to salvage something positive on Wednesday in a season that has them languishing 16th in the Premier League ahead of Sunday's season finale, and so the loss in Bilbao was a huge blow.

Asked if he had any regrets about taking the United job mid-season, he said: "In this moment I'm really glad that I arrived six months before we started the new season. We avoided a lot of mistakes that would have happened next season. We have avoided a lot of suffering."

While United have little but pride to play for on Sunday, Villa are in the thick of the chase for Champions League qualification with Manchester City, Newcastle United, Chelsea and Nottingham Forest.

Villa are sixth, with the top five teams clinching spots in Europe's top club competition.

(Production: Simon Ormiston)