Duo who cost combined £107.5m ready to follow Rashford out with cruel Amorim insult leaving both 'feeling flat'

Alan Shearer reckons Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim faces the prospect of losing two more of his attacking options this summer in addition to Marcus Rashford after a major slap in the face by the Portuguese will have left both players humiliated – and with the Match of the Day pundit claiming the Red Devils need several transfer windows to rebuild their squad.

Rashford finally sealed his departure from the Red Devils over the weekend when it was announced he was joining Aston Villa on a loan deal towards the end of the season, which sees Unai Emery’s side cover the bulk of his sizeable £325,000 a week wages and also securing an option to sign him permanently in a £40m deal. But while Rashford’s exit leaves Manchester United short of options to play up front, he might not be the only attacker to depart the club in the coming months.

That’s according to Shearer, who believes Amorim’s treatment of both Joshua Zirkzee and Rasmus Hojlund of late could drive both players towards the Old Trafford exit door.

Hojlund and Zirkzee, who cost a combined £107.5m (€129.3m, $134.4m) from Atalanta and Bologna respectively over successive summers, have failed to convince the new United manager so far, with neither failing to find the net this calendar year and both on prolonged goal droughts.

To add to their humiliation and to illustrate their ineffectiveness in front of goal, Amroim decided to utilise midfielder Kobbie Mainoo as a false nine in Sunday’s clash against Crystal Palace at Old Trafford – which resulted in 2-0 loss for the Red Devils.

As a result, Shearer believes the pair could look to follow Rashford’s example and leave.

“Ruben Amorim opted for Mainoo in the false nine position against Crystal Palace at the weekend and I imagine Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee will be feeling very flat,” Shearer said via Metro.

“They’ll be thinking whether they actually belong or want to be at the football club when you’ve got the new manager playing a midfielder as a false nine ahead of centre-forwards.

“Hojlund and Zirkzee will be feeling very flat and there’ll be a lot of thoughts going through their minds about whether they want to be there and whether Amorim actually rates them or wants them. Clearly, he doesn’t because he needs results, which he isn’t getting, and he’s not playing either forward.”

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Shearer feels United need several windows to return to their best

Shearer reckons the size of the task facing Amorim at Old Trafford may have caught him off guard with the Red Devils having lost eight of their 19 matches so far under the former Sporting coach’s leadership.

That leaves them in 13th place in the Premier League – just one position better off than where he inherited the side from Erik ten Hag – and proving the task of rebuilding the club will prove a lengthy process.

Assessing their problems, Shearer continued: “You never, ever get a free hit, but I think such are the deep-rooted problems at that football club that someone has had to come in and be given the time to rip it apart.

“I know they signed a new full-back in January but we know it’s going to take more than one transfer window to get that club right and I think they’ll have a lot more pain before there’ll have any joy.”

United’s most obvious issue stems in attack, with the Red Devils only having scored 28 times in 24 matches so far – that’s only three more than Leicester City who currently occupy the final relegation place and a half the tally of the league’s top scorers, Liverpool, who have 56.

Indeed, Hojlund’s goal drought now stretches to 13 games with Zirkzee last hitting the back of the net in the 4-0 win over Everton on December 1. Between them, they have notched just five goals all season.

A report last week claimed Hojlund now faces a fight to convince Amorim he is worthy of a long-term future at Old Trafford, with the United boss ‘far from convinced’ by what he’s seen from him so far and with a report naming two giant clubs already eyeing a move.

Our reporter Rudy Galetti also revealed that Zirkzee is far from happy at his situation at Old Trafford, with his early withdrawal in December’s home defeat to Newcastle leaving the player in tears and considering his future. However, after weighing up the prospect of leaving, the player has decided to give himself until the end of the season to make an impression, though recent signs do not bode well.

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Meanwhile, Rashford’s move to Villa Park may have been greeted by Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who will have been delighted by the fact that Emery’s side are picking up the bulk of his wages over the remainder of the season.

However, our reporter Fraser Fletcher has exclusively revealed that the 27-year-old’s time with the Midlands club may be over almost before it has begun with Rashford already planning his next move away with plans for next season already formulating.

Elsewhere, United chiefs will be celebrating once again after Jason Wilcox and Omar Berrada pulled off another clever deal by securing the exit of Tyrell Malacia to PSV Eindhoven.

The full-back has only made eight appearances over the last two seasons, but leaves for the Eredivisive champions on loan, who will cover the entirity of his £80,000 a week wages and having secured an option to make permanent this summer. The player also made a bit of a unfair dig at United’s playing style after finalising the switch.

And finally, United’s reasons for snubbing a move for Mathys Tel have now come to light with the Red Devils’ startling reasons for snubbing the chance to sign the teenager from Bayern Munich now coming to light.

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