Ruben Amorim set to be named Manchester United boss after November international break
Amorim has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Erik ten Hag
Sporting Lisbon are resolute in their stance not to allow manager Ruben Amorim to depart for Manchester United until after the international break, according to reports from Portugal.
Amorim has emerged as the frontrunner to replace Erik ten Hag, who was dismissed as United’s manager on Monday following months of speculation regarding his future.
Earlier on Wednesday, Sporting confirmed that Man United intend to trigger Amorim’s €10million (£8.5million) release clause to buy him out of his contract.
However, a significant sticking point has arisen regarding the timing of Amorim’s potential move to the Premier League.
Reports suggest that he may be required to serve a lengthy notice period following the activation of his release clause.
According to the terms of his contract, Amorim could be obligated to remain in his position for up to 30 days after the clause is triggered.
This means he could still be in charge for Sporting’s Champions League clash against Manchester City on November 5.
Additionally, Sporting are making it challenging for United to poach their entire coaching staff, demanding an additional €5million (£4.3million) for Amorim’s assistants to join him in Manchester.
Sporting CP President Frederico Varandas has been tight-lipped amid United’s pursuit of Amorim, providing only a brief comment to journalists while entering the Sporting academy on a run: “It’s a beautiful morning.”
The Man United hierarchy is eager to act quickly, with reports from The Times indicating that they hope to have Amorim installed in the dugout by this Sunday’s match against Chelsea.
Amorim remained non-committal about his future during a press conference following his team’s 3-1 League Cup victory over Nacional on Tuesday night.
As he arrived at Sporting head quarters earlier for training, negotiations regarding his notice period were ongoing.
Following the match, it was reported that United sent three officials to Lisbon to expedite an agreement with Amorim.
Ahead of the League Cup tie, Ruben Amorim was questioned about the links to United in the wake of Ten Hag’s departure, but he refrained from confirming his next steps.
“I was already expecting this question and obviously I’m not going to talk about the future, because otherwise I’ll always have to comment,” he said on Monday.
“I’m very proud to be Sporting coach, that’s all.”
Several Sporting players have reportedly voiced frustrations with manager Ruben Amorim as he prepares to depart the Portuguese champions just nine matches into the new league season.
According to Portuguese newspaper O Jogo, some Sporting players, including Viktor Gyokeres and Morten Hjulmand, are upset over Amorim’s likely exit.
Both players were reportedly “enticed” to remain at the club over the summer with the goal of defending the Portuguese title under his guidance.
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