by Ruben Amorim is pushing to leave Sporting as the Portuguese club have now come to terms with the loss of their highly-rated head coach and joined Manchester United.
A deal with United has not yet been fully finalized but Amorim has made it clear to Sporting that he wants to leave the club and succeed Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
Amorim has a reputation for being a tough negotiator and can be demanding. Sources indicate that discussions have been held with United in the past without an agreement being reached.
However, the €10m (£8.3m) compensation fee required to release Amorim from his contract is not understood to be an issue. A bigger issue may be Amorim’s personal financial demands and the composition of his backroom staff, but it is hoped that this will not prove insurmountable.
The 39-year-old has emerged as United’s first choice following a series of discussions in recent weeks. Formal negotiations with Sporting began yesterday following Ten Hag’s dismissal.
The Lisbon club play at home in the Portuguese Cup tonight against Nacional, after which Amorim will be asked about his future. It is possible that he will be able to announce his retirement after the quarterfinals.
Amorim, who speaks perfect English, is one of Europe’s most sought-after young managers and has long been on United’s radar.
Last summer, Amorim’s release clause was €15m (£12.5m), but it has since been reduced under the terms of his contract. Amorim is a very confident coach who has previously relied on a 3-4-3 formation and it will be interesting to see if he sticks with it should he move to United. According to sources, he is unlikely to change.
United have also considered former Borussia Dortmund coach Edin Terzic, who is out of a job having left the German club in the summer despite leading them to the Champions League final. He also speaks perfect English and was spoken to.
Ten Hag was sacked following a meeting with managing director Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth at the Carrington training ground on Monday morning. United will hire a head coach as part of their new structure rather than a manager, which Ten Hag held and closely guarded in the summer.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, who was appointed as one of Ten Hag’s assistants in July, has been appointed as interim coach until a permanent replacement is found.
The United players will train with Van Nistelrooy and his assistant Rene Hake for the first time on Tuesday before facing Leicester City in the Carabao Cup round of 16 at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
