Manchester United's strongest 20-man matchday squad exposes huge weakness after transfer window

Following the conclusion of the January transfer window on Monday evening, Manchester United now know where they stand ahead of the remainder of the season.

The Reds failed to add to the signings of Ayden Heaven and Patrick Dorgu on deadline day, meaning head coach Ruben Amorim must work with what he has available to him between now and the end of the campaign.

The United head coach desperately wanted to sign a striker on deadline day but the club was unable to commit to a deal that would have made sense for all parties. They had considered attempting to sign Chelsea's Christopher Nkunku or Mathys Tel of Bayern Munich on loan.

Instead, United have prioritised summer spending, with a new No.9 expected to be a leading target ahead of the 2025/26 season. It means the Reds are now very thin on the ground inside the final third.

Having allowed Marcus Rashford, Ethan Wheatley and Antony to leave, United are very light in forward areas. They have also lost a key fixture at the back in the form of Lisandro Martinez.

It means Amorim could find himself having to rely on the same faces more than he would like to get United through to the end of the season. Looking at the current landscape of the squad, the United boss does not have an awful lot of scope to make changes to what could become a core group of 20 to make up the squad on a matchday.

Despite his questionable performances and errors in recent matches, Andre Onana is expected to continue as the club's first-choice goalkeeper. He has started every Premier League fixture since arriving from Inter Milan ahead of the start of the 2023/24 season.

The loss of Martinez to a reported ACL injury means he will be missing for the rest of the season, forcing Amorim into a defensive