Manchester United are reportedly in discussion with Sporting to replace Erik ten Hag with their manager Ruben Amorim.
Dutchman Ten Hag was dismissed on Monday after the team’s poor start to the season. Amorim, 39, is a highly regarded coach who has won two Portuguese league titles with Sporting – including their first in 19 years – since joining in 2020.
It is not clear how extensive the talks over Amorim are. It is also not clear whether other options are still open to take the Old Trafford job.
However, Amorim is now gradually turning into the frontrunner. Portuguese Amorim, speaking at a news conference on Monday, said he knew he was going to be asked about the Manchester United job but did not want to discuss it.
United have installed Ten Hag’s assistant Ruud van Nistelrooy as interim boss but have yet to state whether he will be in charge for the Carabao Cup clash with Leicester at Old Trafford on Wednesday.
The club has already dismissed Van Nistelrooy from holding a pre-match media conference on Tuesday. Ten Hag was talking about the EFL Cup game after the match against West Ham on Sunday.
While United have discussed the monetary consequences of paying compensation to Ten Hag and an incoming coach, other sources familiar with United’s financial situation have claimed this would not be a problem impossible to solve.
Sporting paid Amorim’s former club Braga 10m euros (£8.3m) to secure his services in 2020.
Amorim whose deal with the club expires in June 2026 had a meeting with West Ham in April but the two parties did not agree and the Portuguese later had to tender an apology to Sporting for meeting with the English club without consulting the club.
Sunday’s 2-1 loss to West Ham placed Manchester United at 14th in Premier League with only three victories in their first nine games.
They are also 21st of 36 teams in the Europa League table after having played three initial matches and all ending in a draw.
