Cubs trade for Morgan, Thaiss; Wisdom DFA’ed​

Rúben Amorim has said he expects to have the final say on Manchester United transfers despite being handed the title of head coach at Old Trafford rather than manager.

Amorim arrived from Sporting CP as part of a revamped structure at the club, which includes sporting director Dan Ashworth and technical director Jason Wilcox.

A source has told ESPN that while Amorim will have a voice in recruitment decisions, he will have less influence that predecessor Erik ten Hag and the process will be led by Ashworth and Wilcox.

Speaking at his first United news conference on Friday, Amorim insisted it is vital that he signs off any additions and departures.

“Everybody has to work together and for that we have to improve the process of recruitment, the data, the profile of players we want,” Amorim said.

“But I have to have a strong position on that because I am the coach. I know how to play, so I think it’s all together but the final word should be the manager.

“Not just because it’s your right but your responsibility. Because, in the end, the result is to me, so I think it’s all together to improve the process of recruitment.

“I have a great responsibility when we choose players because this is something that should be done this way. I’m the manager, the head coach, so I have to choose the players.”

Amorim smiled throughout his first meeting with the media since accepting United’s offer and looked relaxed ahead of his first game against Ipswich Town on Sunday.

He said that he has “belief” in the players he’s inherited despite the team sitting 13th in the Premier League table.

However, he accepted that maybe the players have lost belief in themselves after a difficult start to the season under Ten Hag.

“That’s for sure but this is normal in every team,” he said. “When you don’t win games, you start to be suspicious of the way of playing. You can understand when they walk to the game or the warm up, you can feel if they are confident or not, so that is a normal thing.

“I think I have to help them to feel that. It will take time but they are ready to cope with the demands of the Premier League because they have proved that.

“You can see even this year and last year sometimes they have a bad first half and then in the second half without any tactical change, they will turn up and change things. They have to find the mindset to play this way through all the game.”

Arsenal defender Ben White is to miss months after suffering from a combination of injuries, Mikel Arteta confirmed on Friday.

White, 27, underwent a knee operation earlier in November, according to ESPN sources, but is now set for an extended spell on the sidelines and more operations in a big blow to his team’s title hopes.

“Ben is going to be out for months. It’s been different kinds of struggles. It’s never been the same thing,” Arteta said of White’s health at his news conference ahead of Arsenal’s clash with Nottingham Forest on Saturday.

“It’s not been improving. It got to a point a where we have to protect the player and let him have surgery. Unfortunately it’s going to be a few months. We have to see how he reacts post-surgery.”

White started Arsenal’s final game before the international break — a 1-1 draw with Chelsea — but has missed time already this season. He was deemed unfit to start for the important trips to Newcastle United and Manchester City and unable to feature at all against Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Another of Arsenal’s defenders Takehiro Tomiyasu is also out for the foreseeable future with a recurrence of a knee injury, Arteta said.

Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Riccardo Calafiori and Leandro Trossard are all training with the team, having either withdrawn from international duty due to injury concerns or picking up knocks while away with their countries.

Arsenal host Forest in need of results if they are to mount a serious title challenge. The north London club are fourth, nine points behind leaders Liverpool and four points behind reigning champions City.