Report: Man United lining up Sporting's Amorim after firing Ten Hag
Manchester United are in talks to hire Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim as Erik ten Hag's successor, sources told The Athletic's David Ornstein and Adam Crafton.
United are reportedly prepared to pay €10 million to release Amorim from his contract, which still has a year and a half left.
Ten Hag left United on Monday with the club in 14th place in the Premier League.
Amorim has been linked with a number of job openings in England over the last two years. Chelsea reportedly approached the 39-year-old before hiring Mauricio Pochettino in 2023, and he was on Liverpool's short list of candidates to replace Jurgen Klopp. Amorim flew to London to interview for the vacancy at West Ham United in May but later apologized to fans in Portugal for doing so.
United parted with Ten Hag and installed assistant and former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy as caretaker manager days after a 2-1 loss to West Ham extended their worst start to a season in 35 years. The Red Devils are also winless in the Europa League after three matches.
It's the first managerial change INEOS has overseen since founder Jim Ratcliffe purchased a minority stake in February. The club extended Ten Hag's contract until June 2026 after conducting an internal review and interviews with outside candidates, including Thomas Tuchel, who was briefly available after leaving Bayern Munich.
England's national team appointed Tuchel as Gareth Southgate's permanent successor earlier this month.
United have reportedly held Brentford's Thomas Frank in high esteem for some time but appear to have prioritized Amorim after his incredible start at Sporting. The team is currently 9-0-0 in Portugal's Primeira Liga with 30 goals scored and just two against. It's also in eighth place in the Champions League table - good enough to qualify automatically for the knockout round - after winning two of its first three games.
Sporting are also set to lose sporting director Hugo Viana to Manchester City. Viana reportedly struck a deal with the reigning Premier League champions to replace Txiki Begiristain as their new director of football, sparking rumors that Amorim would follow him to the Etihad as Pep Guardiola's eventual successor.
United may have anticipated that move with a preemptive strike of their own.