Ruben Amorim stated on Tuesday that “nothing is decided yet” regarding his potential move to Manchester United, who have reportedly made the Sporting Lisbon coach their top target following the sacking of Erik ten Hag.
United ended Ten Hag’s two-year tenure on Monday after a disappointing 2-1 defeat to West Ham, which left the club languishing in 14th place in the Premier League. Amorim quickly emerged as the leading candidate for the role, especially after a statement from Sporting indicated that United was willing to pay his 10 million euro (£8.3 million, $10.8 million) release clause.
Following Sporting’s League Cup victory against Nacional on Tuesday night, Amorim was cautious when asked if that match might have been his last with the Portuguese club. “Nobody knows whether this was my farewell match. Nothing is decided yet,” he said, according to the sports daily A Bola.
Despite substantial summer spending in the transfer market, United have struggled, winning just one of their last eight games across all competitions. In the interim, former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been appointed as the acting manager, but the focus seems to be on securing Amorim, recognized as one of Europe’s top young coaches. Since joining Sporting in March 2020, he has led the team to two Portuguese league titles.
Earlier in the week, Amorim had downplayed the speculation about his future, saying, “I’m not going to talk about my future. I’m very proud to be the coach of Sporting Lisbon.”
In light of the ongoing discussions, Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler, a young manager making strides in the Premier League, shared insights on what advice he would offer Amorim should he decide to leave Portugal for Old Trafford.