Sporting have confirmed that Manchester United have made an approach for their head coach, Rúben Amorim. In a statement to the Securities Market Commission (CMVM) in Lisbon on Tuesday they said the Premier League club “had expressed an interest” in hiring the 39-year-old and that United are prepared to pay the release clause of €10m (£8.3m).
Earlier in the day, United’s hopes of appointing Amorim increased with Sporting agreeing a deal with João Pereira to take over from the 39-year-old should he leave.
The Premier League club entered talks with Amorim’s representatives after sacking Erik ten Hag on Monday, with a three-year deal worth about £6.5m a season on the table. Amorim has a release clause of £8.3m for “a big club” and double that for a lesser club.
United are expected to have a three-person delegation in Lisbon on Tuesday night for further talks, according to the Portuguese outlet A Bola. Sporting are resigned to losing Amorim, having held on to him in the summer when Liverpool and West Ham were among the clubs looking for a manager, and feel Pereira is the perfect replacement.
Pereira, a former right-back, had three spells as a player at the Alvalade and won the league with Amorim in 2021. He is the coach of Sporting’s reserves and was endorsed by Amorim in May. “João Pereira is making his mark [with the B team] and I think he is an excellent coach,” he said. “He has everything it takes to become coach of the first team here.”
The 40-year-old Pereira, who won 40 caps for Portugal between 2010 and 2014, was appointed assistant coach of the under-23s for the 2021-22 season, before taking charge of the team the following season. He moved up to the reserves at the start of this campaign. They are fifth in their league, Liga 3 Serie B.
