SPORTING all but confirmed Manchester United will poach Ruben Amorim after announcing the Red Devils will pay his £8.3million release clause.
And now it seems to be when, not if, United will replace Erik ten Hag with the Sporting boss.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the Old Trafford board sacked Erik ten Hag on Monday following the 2-1 defeat at West Ham.
And they are wasting no time in trying to find his permanent replacement.
Now Sporting said Manchester United chiefs are already in contact about taking Amorim to get the ship back on the right course again.
The Lisbon giants even confirmed the official approach with a letter to the Portuguese stock exchange.
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But they did not confirm whether they have accepted United’s advances.
As reported by A Bola, Sporting said: “Manchester United has expressed an interest in hiring coach Ruben Amorim, with the Board of Directors of Sporting SAD referring 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 10m Euros.
“Manchester United has expressed an interest in paying Sporting SAD the amount of the aforementioned clause.”
Representatives are understood to be in Lisbon today to try and get a deal over the line for Amorim, whose Sporting deal lasts until 2026.
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But three different clauses in his contract means United can land him for £8.5m.
Other Portuguese clubs would need to pay £25m while the figure drops to £17m outside of the country.
But a clause for Europe’s elite means Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City and United could activate his release clause for £8.5m.
The former midfielder, 39, will take charge of his side for the 228th time when Sporting host Nacional in the Taca de Liga tonight.
And that is expected to be his final match as Sporting boss before he is officially unveiled as the new United gaffer.
Ruud van Nistelrooy has been put in charge as interim United boss ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup tie with Leicester.
However, if things go to plan, he may well step aside in time for Chelsea’s visit to Old Trafford on Sunday afternoon.
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Amorim was on Liverpool’s shortlist in the summer and a potential candidate to replace Pep Guardiola if he leaves Manchester City at the end of the season.
But he broke his silence on the likelihood of taking over at Old Trafford during a press conference on Monday.
Amorim said: “I was already expecting this question [about Man Utd] 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 Sporting coach, that’s all.”
Ironically, Amorim was once a team-mate of Victor Lindelof and scored against Christian Eriksen during his playing days – before hanging up his boots aged 32 due to a knee injury.
He attended university lectures led by Jose Mourinho as he took his steps into coaching – and even did an internship with the Special One at United in 2018.
And should he sign on the dotted line, he would become the Premier League’s fourth-youngest manager – behind Fabian Hurzeler, Russell Martin and Kieran McKenna.
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‘I was expecting this’ – What Ruben Amorim said about Man Utd job links
RUBEN AMORIM has responded to being linked with a move to Manchester United.
The Sporting Lisbon coach, 39, is reportedly closing in on a deal worth £8million to become Erik ten Hag’s successor.
Just hours after Ten Hag’s dismissed on Monday morning, it emerged Man Utd chiefs were in talks with Amorim as they zero in on the Sporting boss.
But the ex-Braga coach remained tight-lipped on negotiations when quizzed by the media.
He said: “I was already expecting this question [about Man Utd].
“Obviously I’m not going to talk about the future, because otherwise I’ll always have to comment.
“I’m very proud to be Sporting coach, that’s all.”
