How Utd player Ten Hag hailed as ‘massively important’ has reacted to Amorim’s ‘imminent’ arrival

Manchester United’s acquisition of their first-choice managerial candidate, Ruben Amorim, is now ‘imminent’ according to Portuguese outlet A Bola. 

Club chiefs may have been three months too late in their decision to drop the axe on Erik ten Hag, but they’ve since been incredibly proactive in their attempts to find his permanent successor.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has taken the reins on an interim basis, though it remains to be seen how many matches he’ll lead, judging by how quickly talks are progressing with Amorim and Sporting Lisbon.

An agreement is already in place between the manager and United. Now, the Reds must negotiate with Sporting and decipher how they plan to buy him out of his 2026 contract, with the most likely route being his £8.3 million release clause.

Bruno Fernandes ‘delighted’ with Amorim’s prospective arrival

Along with the fans eagerly anticipating who will be next in the hot seat are the players, who will be undergoing their final preparations ahead of tomorrow’s fourth-round Carabao Cup tie at home to Leicester City.

Amorim’s prospective appointment would likely come as a pleasant surprise to the likes of Manuel Ugarte as, prior to his Paris Saint-Germain move in 2023, he notched 85 appearances for Sporting under the 39-year-old.

Similarly, skipper Bruno Fernandes is said to be ‘delighted’ (CaughtOffside) at the thought of his compatriot joining him in M16. He previously hailed the impact that Amorim had on his former club, telling the press (via The Mirror): “Since Mr Amorim arrived at Sporting, it has been one of the teams to play the best football. They have been consistent, the signings have been right, and they are in a very good moment. It’s a very well-prepared team.

“In relation to Amorim, he shows that he is prepared at this moment. Coaching Sporting and winning championships is not easy; Sporting went 20 years without winning championships, and Amorim arrived and has already won two – this shows that the work has been done well.

“If he could manage to do the same in England, Spain or anywhere else, you will never know until you get there, but I’m sure his qualities are there for everyone to see.”

That’s not to say he wasn’t left unsettled by Ten Hag’s departure, though. The Dutchman made him captain after taking the armband off of Harry Maguire last summer and had lauded Fernandes for playing a ‘massively important’ role on numerous occasions.

The midfielder took to Instagram to wish Ten Hag well yesterday, sharing a picture of the two holding the FA Cup captioned: “Thanks for everything, boss! I appreciate the trust and the moments we shared together. I wish you all the best in the future.

“Even knowing the last period hasn’t been great for all of us, I hope you fans can keep with you the good things the manager has done for our club!”