Manchester United were in talks on Monday night to appoint Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim as their new manager after sacking Erik ten Hag.
Mail Sport revealed last week that Amorim was one of four targets if Ten Hag was sacked, and United announced on Monday morning that the Dutchman’s two-and-a-half-year reign at Old Trafford was over.
His assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy has been put in charge temporarily, but United quickly began talks with Amorim and Sporting to activate the £8.5m release clause in his contract in Portugal.
The 39-year-old, who was interviewed about managerial vacancies at Liverpool and West Ham earlier this year, is said to be open to a move to Old Trafford.
Amorim is understood to have planned to leave Sporting at the end of the season, but learned of United’s interest earlier this month and has had two rounds of talks.
Man United were in talks with Ruben Amorim on Monday night about becoming manager.
The Red Devils sacked Erik ten Hag after falling to 14th place in the Premier League standings
General manager Omar Berrara, who used to work at Manchester City, is leading the recruitment search
Asked about links to United following Ten Hag’s sacking, he said on Monday: “I was expecting this question and obviously I’m not going to talk about the future because otherwise I’ll always have to comment.” I’m very proud to be coach of Sporting, that’s all.
Amorim has also been linked with Manchester City if Pep Guardiola leaves next summer after it was confirmed that Hugo Viana, his director of football at Sporting, will replace Txiki Begiristain in the same role at the Etihad last season .
Omar Berrada, who left City to become United’s new chief executive in the summer, will have been aware of his former club’s interest in Amorim and is leading the search for Ten Hag’s replacement.
Berrada has also held talks with Xavi Hernández in Spain, but the former Barcelona coach is reluctant to accept the job mid-season and also has a family problem that would make it difficult for him to move to England before the end of the campaign.
Brentford’s Thomas Frank was one of the other names on United’s list, while Graham Potter has also been mooted.
United made the decision to sack Ten Hag when the club was 14th in the Premier League following Sunday’s defeat to West Ham, and in the bottom half of the Europa League.
He was summoned to a meeting with Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth at Carrington on Monday morning and informed of the decision.
The 54-year-old Dutchman, who is expected to receive up to £15m in compensation, flew to Holland on a private jet around lunchtime.
Amorim has won two league titles with Sporting and has previously been courted by Liverpool and West Ham
The decision by United’s management team is understood to have been collective and unanimous, although sources say it was “difficult and finely balanced”.
They claim United’s hierarchy wanted continuity following radical changes to the leadership team and backroom staff in the summer, and gave Ten Hag all the support they could to succeed, but did not see enough evidence of progress. to convince them that the team was on the right path. right path.
Sources praised Ten Hag for behaving with dignity but said there were “no excuses” for the poor start to the season.
