Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim has insisted that no decision has been made on his future amid the ongoing speculation linking him with the Manchester United managerial job.
Amorim is said to be Man United's number one target to replace Erik ten Hag, with the Dutchman sacked by the Red Devils on Monday morning, less than 24 hours after the team's 2-1 loss at West Ham United.
The 39-year-old has allegedly already agreed to take charge of the 20-time English champions, while Man United are willing to pay the €10m (£8.3m) release clause for his services.
Amorim was in charge of Sporting's 3-1 victory over Nacional in the Taca da Liga on Tuesday night, and he was given a huge applause by the club's supporters ahead of what could have been his last game in charge.
However, the Portuguese did not offer any guarantees after the clash with Nacional, insisting that there had been no final decision when it comes to his future.
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Amorim insists no decision has been made on his future
"Nobody knows if it was a farewell match or if there will be a farewell. It's a matter that hasn't been decided yet. Let's analyse the match," Amorim told reporters after the contest.
"It was a strange match, we had a lot of possession, not so good on the wings, we didn't make life easy for Ivan Fresneda. We had chances but didn't score and in the second half we increased the intensity, scored goals and conceded one with a deflection. It wasn't a brilliant performance, but we prepared for what's to come by rotating players."
Sporting have already confirmed Man United's interest in Amorim, with a statement from the club reading: "Manchester United FC expressed interest in hiring coach Ruben Amorim, with the Board of Directors of Sporting SAD referring to the terms and conditions set out in the employment contract in force between the Company and the coach, specifically for the respective termination clause and for the amount of Euro 10,000,000.00. Manchester United FC expressed interest in paying Sporting SAD the value of the aforementioned clause."
Ruud van Nistelrooy is currently in charge of Man United on an interim basis, and the Dutchman will be at the helm for Wednesday's EFL Cup fixture with Leicester City at Old Trafford.
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Would Amorim be a good fit for Man United?
Amorim has been in charge of Sporting since 2020, boasting a record of 171 wins, 34 wins and 33 defeats from his 238 matches in charge, winning five trophies in the process.
The Green and Whites won the Primeira Liga title in 2020-21 and 2023-24 under Amorim's management, in addition to three cups, while the Lisbon giants have been in excellent form this season, unbeaten in all competitions since the start of August.
Amorim is regarded as one of the best young coaches in world football and had been earmarked as a potential replacement for Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, but he is now seemingly heading for the red side of Manchester.
The Portuguese, who represented his country on 14 occasions during his playing career, primarily sets his side up in a 3-4-3 formation, and it will be fascinating to see whether he implements that system at Old Trafford.
Matt Law
