Manchester United would need to pay €20m to hire Sporting Club de Portugal manager Rúben Amorim but even matching that clause would not be enough to get him.
That’s according to A Bola, who cover the Portuguese manager’s future today after he was linked with the Manchester United job this week.
Current United boss Erik ten Hag is under increasing pressure thanks to a poor start to the season in the Premier League and Europe and seemingly growing discontent with his management.
A storm has been steadily building around the Dutchman for weeks as he tries to put out fires all over Old Trafford and performances on the pitch don’t help his cause on that front.
Reports this week indicated a list of names that Manchester United would look at should they decide to sack Ten Hag and appoint a new manager and Sporting manager Amorim was among them.
Getting him out of Portugal would not be an easy task, though, according to A Bola. They explain that, even if Manchester United were to make a move, he could only leave at the end of the season.
They explain that while Amorim has a €30m release clause for Portugal and a €20m clause for foreign clubs, it is not simply a case of paying that to get him out.
According to their information, they have been guaranteed that an exit ‘will not be possible’ and will not take shape before the end of the season.
Whether that’s because of the various other clauses in his contract or the manager’s own desire, with him this week insisting he doesn’t want to move, isn’t made clear.
What is evident, though, is that only at the end of the season, when the situation will be different, will Amorim’s departure from Sporting be discussed. That’s at least the stance in Portugal and it would remain to be seen if Sporting or Amorim stick to their guns quite as strongly should a serious move be made.
The reality is that while United may be floundering at present, they remain one of the biggest clubs in the world and difficult for a manager to turn down. Likewise, Sporting would find it difficult to turn down €20m given their constant need to make money.
However, for now the stance is a clear one; he won’t be heading to Manchester United in the middle of the campaign, even if they were to pay his release clause.
