Manchester United have reached an agreement with Sporting Lisbon regarding the hiring of Ruben Amorim as head coach.
As part of the deal, Amorim is expected to stay with Sporting for their next three matches, including against Manchester City on Tuesday and Braga on November 10, meaning he would first take charge of United at Ipswich Town on November 24 .
Sporting were determined to keep Amorim during this crucial period and United agreed to these terms in recognition of the 39-year-old’s position at the Portuguese club and his desire for a smooth exit mid-campaign.
Amorim has a €10m (£8.4m, $10.9m) release clause in his contract, but there is also a 30-day notice period. United are willing to pay €1m more to get Amorim early, so he can start work during the international break. Sporting were demanding an additional 5 million euros for an immediate release, according to people close to the matter in Portugal.
Sporting insist that everything is not yet finalized and that there have also been discussions about additional compensation to allow the departure of the staff that Amorim has planned to join, namely the coaches of the first team Emanuel Ferro, Adelio Candido and Carlos Fernandes, as well as the goalkeeping coach. Jorge Vital and sports scientist Paulo Barreira. United’s chief executive Omar Berrada was in Lisbon to lead negotiations for United.
Amorim wants a satisfactory departure from a club he has called home for four years, aware of the bond established with its supporters during two league victories, and United were open to such diplomacy given the season is underway and that Ruud van Nistelrooy is capable of stepping up his efforts. as an interim manager.
Speaking ahead of Sporting’s match against Estrela Amadora on Friday evening, Amorim refused to say when an announcement would be made.
“It’s a negotiation between two clubs. It’s never easy. Even with the clauses, it’s never easy. They need to talk,” he told reporters.
“We will have clarifications after the match. It will be very clear so it is still one day after tomorrow’s match that we will have the decision made.
He did not watch United’s win over Leicester City on Wednesday night, instead focusing on Estrela while also monitoring Manchester City, who Sporting face in the Champions League on Tuesday.
When asked what he liked about the Premier League in general, he added: “Everything.”
Van Nistelrooy would, during this period, have a total of four games in charge, adding Chelsea in the Premier League, PAOK in the Europa League and Leicester again in the Premier League.
The Dutchman’s long-term future at the club is not yet certain. He said he was willing to work in whatever capacity Amorim saw fit. A week as United boss is at least an opportunity to enhance his No.1 CV.
Amorim’s pursuit follows the decision to relieve Erik ten Hag of his coaching duties on Monday after two and a half years in charge of the club.
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What will Amorim bring to United?
Analysis by Mark Carey, Senior Data Analyst
Ruben Amorim is a manager who has been linked to numerous jobs in recent months, and you can see why the 39-year-old is in demand.
Amorim guided Sporting to a first league title for 19 years in 2021-22, followed it with another victory last season and made it nine wins from nine, with Sporting instead leading the Primeira Liga this season .
Even taking into account the qualitative imbalance of the Primeira Liga, a team that has, statistically, one of the best attacks (Creation Chance, 95 out of 99) and the best defenses (Prevention Chance, 97 out of 99) shows that its coach must be having a positive effect.
Stylistically, Amorim’s 3-4-3 – or more precisely a 3-4-2-1 – relies on high possession, flexible attacking approaches and a solid defensive foundation.
The arrival of striker Viktor Gyokeres last season led to a more transitional and direct attacking style (Patient attack, 49 of 99). This also highlights Amorim’s ability to maximize his style by adapting to his players’ skills.
Amorim has shown his willingness to integrate young talents into the first team, including Goncalo Inacio, Matheus Nunes, Nuno Mendes and Ousmane Diomande, and has improved the quality of the squad with the resources he has at his disposal.
Bruno Fernandes joined Manchester United just over a month before Amorim’s appointment, but Mendes (at Paris Saint-Germain), Nunes (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur), Manuel Ugarte (also at PSG) and Joao Palhinha (Fulham) are among the talented players that Amorim improved before being sold for high prices.
Winning references for the title? Tick. Line up young players? Tick. Improve the individual performance of players? Tick. There are reasons why Amorim is so sought after among Europe’s elite.
(Top photo: Diogo Cardoso/Getty Images)