Why West Ham REJECTED new Man Utd manager Amorim

Ruben Amorim looks set to take over Erik ten Hag as Manchester United manager, but he was close to joining West Ham over the summer.

The Hammers held talks with the Sporting CP man earlier this year about replacing David Moyes, but they opted to wait for the summer and then hire Julen Lopetegui instead.

The suggestion was that the Premier League outfit were not happy to pay the €10 million compensation fee the Portugal club wanted. But now it’s reported via the Daily Mail that it was another reason instead, a reason more down to experience.

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Amorim has spent his entire managerial career in Portugal, where he has coached three different clubs. Following his retirement from playing in 2016, he made his coaching debut in 2018 with Casa Pia, a club competing in Portugal’s lower divisions. He quickly moved up the ranks, taking on the managerial role at Braga, but it was not long there that he joined Sporting.

Under his leadership, Sporting won the Portuguese league title twice, ending an almost 20-year title drought and re-establishing themselves as a top force in Portuguese football.

Amorim has never managed outside of Portugal before but has coached three different teams in his homeland.

After hanging his boots up in 2016, he started managing Casa Pia two years later, before moving to Braga and then Sporting CP. In his four years at the club, Amorim has won the Portuguese title twice after the club had previously gone almost two decades without winning their domestic league.

But the fact he has never managed outside the top-five leagues in Europe was the real reason that West Ham baulked at hiring him.

Amorim the next in line

Following the sacking of Ten Hag on Monday, which came in the wake of a 2-1 Premier League defeat to the London club, Man Utd have acted quickly to replace him with the highly-rated Amorim.

Although there was speculation linking the Red Devils to a string of out-of-work managers, such as Graham Potter, Gareth Southgate and Xavi, the 39-year-old Portuguese quickly emerged as the club’s top target.

“It’s done, it’s done, it’s done,” Brailsford said outside Old Trafford when speaking to fans in a video caught on camera and posted on social media.

Ben Jacobs reports: “Ruben Amorim is set to stay at Sporting until Braga on November 10. Portuguese sources insist an announcement could come as early as tomorrow [Thursday]. Both clubs declined to comment.

“Also understand that along with Carlos Fernandes, Adelio Candido and Jorge Vital, sports scientist Paulo Barreira and Emanuel Ferro are expected to join Man Utd with Amorim. Former two have been with him throughout his coaching journey.”