Ruben Amorim reacts to Manchester United links

Ruben Amorim declined to discuss his future at Sporting Lisbon as Manchester United opened talks with the Portuguese coach about becoming their next permanent manager.

The 39-year-old is reportedly considering the opportunity to replace Erik ten Hag, with United prepared to negotiate with Sporting over a release fee of €10million (£8.3million).

Significant progress has been made in early discussions, to the extent that Amorim’s potential coaching staff has already been reviewed.

Man United, however, are eager for a decision from Amorim by the weekend.

Man United’s football operations department has identified Amorim as their top candidate, despite not considering him as a replacement for Ten Hag during the summer.

Amorim has previously attracted interest from Liverpool and Barcelona, and his impressive work at Sporting has seen him tipped as a possible successor to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Sporting face Nacional in the Taca de Liga quarter-finals on Tuesday night, and Amorim appeared at a press conference on Monday, just hours after Ten Hag’s dismissal.

When asked about the vacancy at Manchester United, Amorim refused to comment on another club’s job, citing his respect for Sporting, which he is reportedly reluctant to leave mid-season.

Sporting currently boast a 100 percent league record this season and are on course to win a third league title under Amorim.

“I was expecting that question and obviously I am not going to talk about my future,” he said when asked about the United job.

“I am not going to speak about my future because no matter what I say I’d have to always talk about it.

“Since the first day, I said it was not worthy to ask about it and I am not going to make any comments about my future.”

Manchester United are reportedly cautiously optimistic about finalizing a deal before the weekend, with Ruud van Nistelrooy set to step in as interim manager on a short-term basis.

Back in April, Ruben Amorim apologised to Sporting Lisbon fans after flying to London for talks with West Ham as a potential replacement for David Moyes.

Amorim admitted to meeting with the club and apologized for what he described as a “mistake,” though Liverpool ultimately decided to hire Arne Slot to succeed Jurgen Klopp.

Amorim was also linked to top clubs like Barcelona, Juventus, and Bayern Munich, but each club opted for different candidates, appointing Hansi Flick, Thiago Motta, and Vincent Kompany, respectively.

Additionally, Amorim had been rumoured as a potential successor to Pep Guardiola, whose contract with Manchester City expires at the end of the season.

Meanwhile, Man City are set to bring in Sporting’s director of football, Hugo Viana, as Txiki Begiristain’s replacement once the season concludes.

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