Sporting Lisbon confirmed on Tuesday Manchester United’s intent to hire manager Ruben Amorim, a major development as the English club moves quickly to name Erik Ten Hag’s successor.
In a statement to the Portuguese Securities Market Commission, Lisbon said United “had expressed an interest” in appointing Amorim and are prepared to pay his release clause of $10.8 million. United will reportedly have a three-person delegation in Lisbon to advance the conversation, per The Guardian, though it is unclear how soon a deal will be reached.
The Red Devils reportedly hope to complete a deal in time for Sunday’s match against Chelsea, per ESPN, though they have a contingency plan in place. Ruud van Nistelrooy, a former United player and an assistant under ten Hag, will take charge of the team while the search for a new manager continues and will oversee Wednesday’s EFL Cup match against Leicester City.
Sporting’s apparent willingness to do business reportedly stems from the fact that they have already lined up Amorim’s successor – Jooo Pereira. The former Sporting player, who won the Primeira Liga with Amorim during the 2020-21 season, is currently coaching the reserve team but has agreed a deal to take charge of the senior team should the role become vacant.
Amorim could speak on the topic on Tuesday, when he takes charge of Sporting’s Taca da Liga match against Nacional, which might be his final game on the sidelines for the club if United can complete a deal on their desired timeline.
The Portuguese club’s statement comes after reports emerged on Monday that United lined up Amorim as Ten Hag’s successor. The club’s willing to pay Amorim’s release clause became clear just hours after Ten Hag’s firing, and Amorim was equally open to holding conversations, per The Athletic.
The 39-year-old Amorim is considered a rising managerial talent in Europe after making a name for himself in his native Portugal. He has spent most of his managerial career with Sporting, who hired him in March 2020 and have enjoyed success under his leadership, winning the Primeira Liga in the 2021-22 season and the 2023-24 season. The league title at the end of the 2021-22 season ended a 19 year drought in a league long dominated by Benfica and Porto. They are atop this season’s standings with a perfect nine wins out of nine and are currently eighth in the UEFA Champions League standings with seven points out of nine.
Amorim prefers to play his teams in a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation with defensive stability and a preference for possession, all while boasting a flexible attacking strategy. He has also worked with a handful of players who went on to sign for top clubs in Europe, like United’s Manuel Ugarte and Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes.
His success in recent years means he’s already been linked to a couple of high-profile jobs in England, including at Liverpool and West Ham. Amorim was considered the frontrunner to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool until Arne Slot filled the role, though he later traveled to London to chat about their job opening, but later called the trip in April a “mistake” for the timing.
Despite Amorim’s resume, he would have a big task ahead of him at United. Not only do they sit in 14th place with three wins in their opening nine games, their worst start to a season in 35 years, their issues are bigger than the manager. The team has cobbled together a squad that lacks high-quality players, and instead is mostly made up of underperforming players. Alejandro Garnacho and Bruno Fernandes are the only players with multiple goals or assists this season, while high-profile players like Marcus Rashford and Rasmus Hojlund have been out of form for more than a year.
