Manchester United's target Ruben Amorim expects clarity over Sporting future
Manchester United are on the brink of confirming Sporting boss, Ruben Amorim, as their new manager. The former Benfica and Portugal midfielder, who moved into management after retirement in 2017, has established himself as one of Europe's most exciting young coaches. On Thursday, during a press conference, Amorim 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. Here's more.
Amorim's move to Manchester United: A timeline
As per Sky Sports, Amorim is expected to sign a two-and-a-half-year deal with Manchester United, with an option for another year. However, he is not expected to take up his new role until the November international break. The Premier League club has reportedly paid Sporting an extra €1 million (£840,000) over his €10 million (£8.37 million) exit clause for an early release from his notice period.
Amorim's coaching team and United's interim plans
Amorim plans to bring his coaching staff from Sporting to Old Trafford, a move that is still being negotiated. The team includes first-team coaches Emanuel Ferro, Adelio Candido and Carlos Fernandes, goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital, and sports scientist Paulo Barreira. Meanwhile, Ruud van Nistelrooy will continue as interim manager for Manchester United until Amorim officially takes over.
'The soap opera is coming to an end'
"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." He added that there will be clarity soon. "Even with the clauses, it's never easy, they have to talk and we will have clarification after the game, it will be very clear," Amorim added. "So it's one more day after the game tomorrow, we will have a decision made."
Sporting have key games coming up
Sporting have a key UEFA Champions League encounter with Manchester City on Tuesday. Meanwhile, they also play Amorim's former club Braga in the Portuguese league on November 10, before European top-flight football pauses for UEFA Nations League games. Sporting have won all nine of their league fixtures this season and hold a three-point lead over rivals Benfica.
