Manchester United are ready to pay Ruben Amorim’s release clause at Sporting (Picture: Getty)
Ruben Amorim is edging ever closer to becoming Manchester United’s next manager – and the news was simply too much to take for one emotional Sporting fan this afternoon.
Erik ten Hag was relieved of his duties on Monday after a miserable start to the season at Old Trafford, with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to take over the reins as interim manager for the time being.
Work is underway behind the scenes to find Ten Hag’s permanent successor and Amorim, 39, widely regarded as one of the finest young coaches in world football, has emerged as the clear frontrunner for the job.
Amorim is said to be determined to push through a switch to the Theatre of Dreams and Sporting have confirmed that United are ready to pay the Portuguese’s €10million (£8.3m) release clause in order to make that happen.
It’s understood ex-Portugal international Joao Pereira will take charge of Sporting until the end of the 2024/25 campaign should Amorim depart for the Red Devils.
The statement from Sporting read: ‘Manchester United FC has expressed an interest in hiring coach Ruben Amorim, and the Board of Directors of Sporting SAD has referred to the terms and conditions set out in the employment contract in force between the Company and the coach, specifically the respective termination clause and the amount of Euro 10,000,000.00;
‘Manchester United FC has expressed an interest in paying Sporting SAD the amount of the aforementioned clause.’
Needless to say, the news and speculation surrounding Amorim’s future has dominated the back pages in Portugal and reporters have been camped outside Sporting’s Jose Alvalade Stadium while updates have filtered though in recent hours.
It’s clear some Sporting fans are yet to process the fact Amorim may soon be in charge of another club, with emotions getting the better of one elderly supporter interviewed by SIC Noticias in Lisbon.
Interview with teary Sporting supporter
Reporter: ‘Will Ruben Amorim be a very important loss for Sporting?’
Sporting fan: ‘Very big indeed.’
Reporter: ‘Is it difficult to watch all this? (Sporting fan breaks down in tears and is unable to answer)
Reporter: ‘It’s very emotional. Ruben Amorim gave Sporting a very different mentality and confidence. But still, do you think Sporting will be able to reverse this scenario? It’s very difficult for Sporting fans.
‘I’m not going to continue insisting here because I’ve already realised that you’re very emotional.’
At a press conference on Monday, Amorim refused to be drawn on speculation linking his name with United and insisted he remained focussed on the task at hand at Sporting.
‘I was expecting that question and obviously I’m not going to talk about the future, because otherwise I’ll always have to comment, so it’s not worth it, I won’t comment,’ he told reporters.
‘I’m very proud to be the coach of Sporting, that’s all.’
Amorim is regarded as one of the finest young coaches in world football (Picture: Getty)
But all the signs point towards Amorim replacing Ten Hag in the hot seat at Old Trafford and club legend Peter Schmeichel – a key member of Sir Alex Ferguson’s treble-winning squad of 1999 – is confident the Portuguese is a ‘great candidate’ for the role.
Schmeichel told BBC Sport: ‘Is he going to leave Sporting now because it’s Manchester United or is he going to stay [at Sporting] until the end of the season?’
‘He’s a great candidate and I’m convinced about that. If he’s going to stay until the end of the season, he’s not a great candidate.
‘This has got to be resolved now. It’s got to be now. We cannot have another period of interim manager.
‘It’s got to be now, we’ve got to be able to stop what has happened so far this season and look to the future.
‘We cannot sit and wait. We’ve already waited and waited, we’ve already wasted so many years on not being very good.’
According to Schmeichel, United cannot afford to hold out until next summer to get a deal done for Amorim.
‘[United are] so far behind Manchester City, so far behind Arsenal and so far behind Liverpool,’ the iconic former Denmark goalkeeper added.
‘If you want to win the Premier League you’ve got to match what they have and we are far behind so we need to start this process now and not in the summer.’
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