Manchester United have reached an agreement with Sporting Lisbon over the appointment of Ruben Amorim as head coach.
As part of the deal, Amorim will remain with Sporting for the next three games, including against Manchester City on Tuesday and Braga on November 10, meaning he will take charge of United for the first time at Ipswich Town on November 24.
Sporting were determined to retain Amorim during this crucial period and United have accepted those terms in recognition of the 39-year-old’s status at the Portuguese club and his desire for a smooth exit mid-campaign.
Amorim has a €10 million release clause in his contract, but there is also a 30-day notice period. United is willing to pay an extra million euros to sign Amorim earlier, so that he can work during the international break. According to people familiar with the deal in Portugal, Sporting had demanded an additional €5 million for his immediate release.
Sporting insists that everything is not yet finalized and there have also been talks about further compensation to allow the departure of the staff that Amorim has earmarked to join him, namely the first team coaches Emanuel Ferro, Adelio Candido and Carlos Fernandes, as well as goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital and sports scientist Paulo Barreira. United chief executive Omar Berrada was in Lisbon to lead talks for United.
Amorim wants a satisfying departure from a club he has called home for four years, mindful of the bond he has built with supporters through two league title wins, and United have been open to such diplomacy as the season is underway and Ruud van Nistelrooy is able to go one step further. as interim manager.
Ahead of Sporting’s match with Estrela Amadora on Friday evening, Amorim refused to explain when an announcement would be made.
“It is a negotiation between two clubs. It’s never easy. Even with the clauses it is never easy. They need to talk,” he told reporters.
“We will get clarification after the match. It will be very clear, so tomorrow is another day after the match and then the decision will be made.”
He did not watch United’s victory over Leicester City on Wednesday night, instead focusing on Estrela while also keeping an eye on Manchester City, who play Sporting in the Champions League on Tuesday.
When asked what he liked about the Premier League in general, he added: “Everything.”
Van Nistelrooy would manage a total of four games in this time frame, adding Chelsea in the Premier League, PAOK in the Europa League and Leicester back in the Premier League.
The Dutchman’s long-term future at the club is not yet certain. He has said he is willing to work in any capacity Amorim sees fit. A week as United boss is at least a chance to improve his CV as number one.
The pursuit of Amorim follows the decision to relieve Erik ten Hag of his duties as manager on Monday after two and a half years in charge.
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What will Amorim bring to United?
Analysis by senior data analyst Mark Carey
Ruben Amorim is a manager who has been linked with a host of jobs in recent months, and you can see why the 39-year-old is in high demand.
Amorim guided Sporting to its first league title in nineteen years in 2021-2022, followed it up with another win last season and has nine wins out of nine, with Sporting well at the top of the Primeira Liga this season.
Even taking into account the uneven quality of the Primeira Liga, a team that statistically had one of the best attacks (chance creation, 95 out of 99) and the best defenses (chance prevention, 97 out of 99), it appears that their manager must have a positive effect.
Stylistically, Amorim’s 3-4-3 – or more specifically a 3-4-2-1 – is built on high ball possession, flexible attacking approaches and a strong defensive base.
The arrival of striker Viktor Gyokeres last season led to a more transitional, direct attacking style (Patient Attack, 49 out of 99). It also highlights Amorim’s ability to maximize his style by adapting to the skills of his players.
Amorim has shown his desire to bring young talent into the first team – including Goncalo Inacio, Matheus Nunes, Nuno Mendes and Ousmane Diomande – and has improved the quality of the team with the resources at his disposal.
Bruno Fernandes moved to Manchester United just over a month before Amorim’s appointment, but Mendes (to Paris Saint-Germain), Nunes (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Pedro Porro (Tottenham Hotspur), Manuel Ugarte (also to PSG) and Joao Palhinha (Fulham ) are among the talented players that Amorim improved before selling them at a high cost.
Title-winning references? Finch. Develop young players? Finch. Improve the performance of individual players? Finch. There are reasons why Amorim is so sought after among Europe’s elite.
(Top photo: Diogo Cardoso/Getty Images)