By Isaac Seelochan

Copyright manchestereveningnews

Former Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves has urged Ruben Amorim to make changes to get more out of captain Bruno Fernandes . The Reds spent heavily in the recent summer transfer window to bolster their attacking options after scoring just 44 goals in the Premier League last term. United signed No.10’s Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo before acquiring striker Benjamin Sesko from RB Leipzig. But their summer business has forced Fernandes to be deployed in a deeper position on the pitch so far this season. The Portuguese is widely regarded as United’s best signing in a fallow period since Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. However, he is yet to get going so far in 2024/25 amid a limited impact in midfield for Amorim’s team. The Reds have deployed a combination of Manuel Ugarte, Casemiro and Kobbie Mainoo alongside Fernandes but the balance has not looked right. And Hargreaves has raised concerns over how United’s skipper is being used during a difficult campaign so far at Old Trafford , with United sitting 14th in the top-flight table. “They decided to get goals and sign proven Premier League players in Cunha and Mbeumo, which I like,” he told TNT Sports . “But now Bruno has to play deeper to get on the ball and create. He’s not playing his natural position, he’s playing deeper. “He’s playing as a box-to-box midfielder. Bruno’s one of the best creators in the division. So you’ve got to play him in his natural position. “But because they play two 10s, you could argue Man Utd’s two best players last season were Amad and Bruno. They were the two 10s, and then they went and signed two more 10s in Cunha and Mbeumo when you didn’t have a keeper or a striker.” Hargreaves has also urged Amorim to consider dropping Sesko and making a subtle tweak to get Fernandes in more advanced areas. “I’d love to see Bruno play as a 10, maybe with Mbeumo as a No. 9,” he added. ‘If you have Cunha and Bruno playing as two 10s plus Mbeumo, that’s good. “Maybe play Amad as a wing-back on the left if you want to stay with the formation. I just think it’s harsh on Bruno, him being criticised. I can’t imagine where they’d be without him. I said that to him last year, towards the end of the season before the Europa League final. “What he’s been able to produce in terms of consistency for them, that’s what you need from everybody.” Here at the Manchester Evening News, we’re dedicated to bringing you the best Manchester United coverage and analysis. Make sure you don’t miss out on the latest United news by joining our free WhatsApp group. You can get all the breaking news and best analysis sent straight to your phone by clicking here to subscribe. You can also subscribe to our free newsletter service. Click here to be sent all the day’s biggest stories. And finally, if you’d rather listen to our expert analysis then make sure to check out our Manchester is Red podcast. Our shows are available on all podcast platforms, including Spotify and Apple Podcasts , and you can also watch along on YouTube .