Ruben Amorim is set become the next manager of Manchester United, with the 39-year-old set to finally take the next step in his coaching career after being linked with some of the biggest jobs in Europe as a result of his impressive work at Sporting Lisbon.
The Portuguese is in line to replace Erik ten Hag with United signalling their intent to pay Sporting over his release fee. United’s football operations department placed Amorim at the top of their list and have convinced the 39-year-old to leave Sporting mid-season.
If United are successful, they will appoint a manager who has been one of the most in-demand coaches in Europe over the last year.
Liverpool, Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich were all linked with him when appointing new managers over the summer, while Amorim has also been tipped as a potential replacement to Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.
Amorim’s stock has risen considerably throughout his four-year tenure at Sporting. He broke the domestic dominance of rivals Benfica and Porto by ending the club’s 19-year title drought with a memorable Primeira Liga triumph in 2021, alongside a League Cup victory.
Yet all his rapid success as a coach follows a successful 14-year career as a player, too, in which he won 14 caps for his native Portugal.
Amorim, who hails from Lisbon, made his senior first-team debut in 2003 for Belenenses in the Portuguese first division before signing for Benfica in the summer of 2008.
It was at the Estadio da Luz where he spent the majority of his playing days, making 154 appearances across six seasons in which he fell in and out of favour with long-term boss Jorge Jesus, playing mainly in central midfield but also utilised at right-back.
One such incident saw Amorim criticise Jesus’ player selections and he refused to train with the substitutes following one match. As a result, he spent 18 months on loan at rivals Braga from January 2012 to the summer of 2013.
Yet he returned to Benfica the following year and enjoyed his most trophy-laden season as a player, winning a domestic treble. However, he soon did his anterior cruciate ligament and though he spent one season on loan at Al-Wakrah in Qatar, he retired at the age of 32 in 2017 having not played in over a year.
With the national team, Amorim made his debut at the 2010 World Cup and was also used at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Following the end of his playing career, he aimed to complete his coaching qualifications and his first job as a manager was with third division team Casa Pia, though he was given a suspended one-year ban for delivering instructions during the match without the required completion of his coaching badges.
Nevertheless, having been appointed coach of Braga reserves in September 2019, he became head coach of the first-team by December.
Amorim won the Portuguese League Cup in his short two-month tenure at Braga, before Sporting poached the young manager for €10m and gambled on the young managerial protege.
It has proved to be an inspired appointment.
At Sporting, he has won the Portuguese League Cup twice and captured a second title this season, winning 29 of their 34 games to finish 10 points ahead of second-placed Benfica.
Amorim, who speaks fluent English having completed some of his Uefa coaching qualifications in Belfast, is known for his powerful personality, tactical knowledge and laid-back demeanour.
He has usually deployed a 3-4-3 high-intensity formation for Sporting and has taken a chance on hidden gems, such as ex-Coventry striker Viktor Gyokeres.
The Sweden international has become of the most in-demand strikers in Europe under Amorim and his release clause of €100m is likely to be met at some point in the near future.
The 26-year-old has gone from strength to strength under Amorim and has made a blazing start to the season, including 18 goals and seven assists.
Other players who have played under his successful beat of management include former Fulham enforcer Joao Palhinha, Manchester City’s Matheus Nunes and Tottenham’s Pedro Porro.
Amorim also got the best out of Manuel Ugarte, who United signed for £60m from Paris Saint-Germain this summer and would be reunited with his former manager should be take the job at Old Trafford.
It is perhaps surprising that Amorim has remained at Sporting for so long, especially as there were so many top jobs available towards the end of last season.
Jurgen Klopp’s shock departure from Liverpool was followed by Xavi’s decision to quit at Barcelona, while Thomas Tuchel parted ways with Bayern Munich and Juventus sacked Max Allegri.
Amorim has heavily linked to each job but the clubs all took the decision to look elsewhere. Arne Slot was Liverpool’s first choice while Barcelona appointed Hansi Flick, Bayern Munich chose Vincent Kompany and Juventus poached Thiago Motta.
Amorim was also monitored by West Ham and apologised to Sporting fans after he was seen flying to London to hold talks with the Premier League club. Amorim said he made a “mistake” – with West Ham recruiting Julen Lopetegui to replace David Moyes.
The strongest link of all perhaps comes from Manchester City, however, who will appoint Sporting’s director of football Hugo Viana as Txiki Begiristain’s successor at the end of the season. Begiristain has been key to City’s success under Guardiola, who is out of contact at the end of the season.
However, City are not concerned by Amorim opening talks with United and there is a growing belief that Guardiola will opt to extend his stay at the Etihad for another season.
If United’s football operatations department, led by chief executive Omar Berrada and sporting director Dan Ashworth, get their way then Amorim will be expected to bring a title challenge back to Old Trafford, 11 years since their last Premier League title under Sir Alex Ferguson.