Ruben Amorim has said the “soap opera is coming to an end” as the Sporting boss promised to provide clarity over his move to Manchester United on Friday.
It had been expected that official confirmation could have come as early as Thursday, but Amorim later said that he would not speak about his future until after Sporting’s league game against Estrela da Amadora on Friday.
Amorim is expected to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal, with the option of a further 12 months, but is unlikely to start in his new role until the November international break.
“The soap opera is coming to an end,” he said in a press conference on Thursday. “The fact that I can’t be so clear creates a lot of difficulty for me.”
It is understood the Premier League club have paid Sporting an extra €1m (£840,000) over his €10m (£8.37m) exit clause for an early release from his notice period. There have been discussions around a nominal compensation for the coaching staff Amorim intends to bring to Old Trafford too.
Asked by Sky Sports News’ Gail Davis why the deal was taking so long to wrap up and when it would be announced, he said: “It is a negotiation between two clubs. It is never easy – even with the clauses.
“We will have clarification after the game. It will be very clear. One more day and then we will have the decision made.”
Asked what he liked about the Premier League, a smiling Amorim added: “Everything.”
United CEO Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth have been concluding talks in Lisbon. Senior Manchester United figures who were in discussions with Sporting flew back from Portugal on Wednesday night.
Ruud van Nistelrooy will remain in interim charge in the meantime. He told Sky Sports after the 5-2 Carabao Cup win over Leicester that he is “happy to help for as long as needed.”
He also revealed he wants to remain at United and be part of Amorim’s coaching set-up.
The incoming manager wants to bring first-team coaches Emanuel Ferro, Adelio Candido and Carlos Fernandes, goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital and sports scientist Paulo Barreira with him.
The rapid developments over a deal left Amorim admitting that he didn’t know whether Tuesday’s Portuguese League Cup quarter-final would be his last game in charge of Sporting.
However, they have been determined to keep him for as long as possible and United have the comfort of Van Nistelrooy in interim charge in the meantime.
A former Benfica and Portugal midfielder, Amorim retired as a player in 2017 and just two years later he took up his first managerial job at Braga.
He then joined Sporting in March 2020 where he has established himself as one of Europe’s most sought-after young coaches, twice guiding the club to the league title.
He has also won the Taca da Liga – the Portuguese League Cup – on three occasions, twice with Sporting and once with Braga.
Why Sporting coach Amorim could be right for Man Utd
Sky Sports’ Adam Bate:
It has long been inevitable that Ruben Amorim would take one of Europe’s biggest jobs. Winning the title with Sporting in 2021 at the age of 36 all but guaranteed that. Repeating the feat last season only underlined his ability as a coach.
Sporting recognised that this was a special talent very early, famously paying a huge release clause after his spectacular start at Braga. They bet on his tactical mind, his fierce commitment as a player, but more than anything on the power of his personality.
In conversation with a series of Portuguese coaches, some of whom have pitted their wits against Amorim in his native country, we will explore his rise, what it is that makes him so impressive as a coach, and, crucially, whether this can be translated into his next job.
Read Adam Bate’s Ruben Amorim analysis here.