Man United holds talk with Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim and Xavi deal could be completed soon

Man United holds talk with Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim and Xavi deal could be completed soon

Man United have spoken to Sporting CP boss Ruben Amorim in the last few days about taking over from Erik ten Hag, sources have told Football Insider.

 

Following a 2-1 defeat against West Ham at the London Stadium, United officially announced that the manager has “left his role as men’s first-team manager”.

 

United also confirmed that Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge as the interim head coach while their search for a new full-time boss is ongoing.

 

Ten Hag had faced growing pressure on his position at Old Trafford as his side have now won just one of their last eight games and have gone without a win in five away fixtures.

 

The board have already begun assessing their options for potential replacements, with Amorim, 39, emerging as a top candidate for the role.

 

The Portuguese boss had been linked with the vacant positions at both West Ham and Chelsea during the summer, but ultimately made the call to remain at Sporting.

 

Now, with speculation intensifying over a move to Old Trafford, discussions have already taken place regarding the possibility of his appointment.

 

Sources say the board were keen to have Ten Hag’s replacement lined up before they make the final call, with talks taking place in the last week.

 

Man United eye Ruben Amorim to replace Erik ten Hag

 

Amorim has become one of the most highly-regarded managers in Europe thanks to his time at Sporting, with his side having won all nine of their league games so far this season.

 

This comes after he led them to lift last season’s league title, putting a huge ten-point gap between his side and rivals Benfica in the process.

 

Last season’s title win was the first time Sporting have topped the Portuguese Primeira Liga since 2021 as they had slipped as low as fourth before he led their revival.

 

 

Meanwhile, in Manchester, former United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Ten Hag was one defeat away from the sack.

 

Now, with a decision having been made while the club continue to assess their options, there is a feeling his replacement will have to be found quickly.

 

Man United

Amorim is the latest boss to have been linked with the role but remains just one of several options in line to take over at Old Trafford.

 

Ruud van Nistelrooy will take interim charge of Manchester United after Erik ten Hag’s sacking, but ex-player Gary Neville isn’t optimistic about his chances.

West Ham United FC v Manchester United FC

 

Ruud van Nistelrooy will take interim charge of Man Utd after Erik ten Hag was sacked (Image: Getty)

Gary Neville fears it is ‘impossible’ for Ruud van Nistelrooy to leave his mark as interim boss in the wake of Erik Ten Hag’s sacking. Ten Hag has been relieved of his duties at Manchester United, having finally succumbed to the pressure that began to mount last season after his side stumbled to a worst-ever Premier League finish – despite an FA Cup triumph as recently as May.

 

Now, directly after a 2-1 away defeat to West Ham on Sunday, assistant Van Nistelrooy – who previously was head coach at PSV – will take charge of the side for Wednesday’s League Cup tie with Leicester as the club look for a permanent solution.

 

While the ex-striker will look to make an impression, pundit and former player Neville believes that the Dutchman simply won’t get enough time to show what he’s capable of.

 

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Neville was asked on Sky Sports News: “You know Ruud, do you think he will be able to quickly get an identity into these players?” And the former skipper gave his take on what lies ahead for his old team-mate.

 

“It would be almost impossible for him wouldn’t it to do that in the next few days. I can’t think that he’s going to have [time],” Neville admitted. “What’s he going to be able to do? He can set the team up differently, that’s something that could happen, he can make the team slightly different. But he’s been on the bench with Erik ten Hag, so I’d be amazed if there was something drastic that happened in the next few days and games that he’s got to manage.

 

“I think that ultimately there’s quite a lot of work that needs to be done with those players, as at this moment in time, they’re desperately struggling. Erik ten Hag’s not been able to get a consistent level of performance out of them, and a lot of those players now are his players. He was backed in the summer, and that ultimately is a big factor in this – Ruud van Nistelrooy will do his very best.”

 

Neville then gave a piece of advice to the new interim boss, perhaps suggesting that a change in formation could shore the team up defensively.

 

West Ham United FC v Manchester United FC

Van Nistelrooy may just choose to carry on Ten Hag’s ideals (Image: Getty)

 

“I have thought for a number of months, looking at the players that United have, they may be better suited to going three at the back, just purely because of the lack of a centre-back pairing and the full-backs there look better going forward than they do defensively.

 

“Maybe that could happen, maybe that might give them a bit more comfort as it would give them an extra body at the back but also for the players it would be a system whereby they’ve got more support. Whether Ruud does that and that’s the right way to go, I’m not sure. We’ll see against Leicester on Wednesday night whether he believed in what Erik was doing because he’ll pick a different team if he didn’t.”

 

The club’s statement reads as though Van Nistelrooy is only a temporary solution in their eyes, as it states: “Ruud van Nistelrooy will take charge of the team as interim head coach, supported by the current coaching team, whilst a permanent head coach is recruited.”

 

But, if he is able to do what Neville fears is impossible and impose his brand of football on a faltering side, then perhaps his name will be thrown into the ring come crunch time. Ex-Barcelona boss Xavi is another leading option to take the job on a permanent basis.