Ruben Amorim's move to Manchester United now appears a matter of fine details away from confirmation after talks rapidly accelerated in recent days.
In a seemingly premeditated move from the Ineos leadership team, talks were already at an advanced stage with the Portuguese manager just hours after Erik ten Hag was removed from his post on Monday morning.
The Dutchman saw his Old Trafford reign severed following a disappointing 2-1 defeat away to West Ham, summarising what had been a rather brutal 18 months for the 20-time English champions.
When is Ruben Amorim's first Manchester United game?
Amorim, who ranked at no.11 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, arrives with plenty of fanfare having transformed the fortunes of Sporting CP since his arrival in 2020, taking the club from a fallen giant to a dominant force in an increasingly competitive Portuguese league.
The 39-year-old has gained plenty of plaudits for his impressive combination of exciting, free-flowing football and relentless results, culminating in two league titles and two cup wins in just four full seasons at the club.
According to the Telegraph, United have already triggered Amorim's release clause, estimated in the region of �8 million, while negotiations rage on regarding other members of staff as well as the potential waiving of a 30-day notice period in Amorim's contract.
Early suggestions that Amorim could be in charge for this weekend's home game against Chelsea now appear wide of the mark, with very little time remaining to complete what is a surprisingly difficult process of working visas and other technicalities.
With Sunday's key clash no looking unaffected by the move, there is an expectation the Red Devils could choose to respect the notice period in order to save money, with upcoming games against PAOK and Leicester City in the Europa League and Premier League respectively seen as much more winnable games for interim coach Ruud van Nistelrooy before yet another international break in the middle of November.
With this in mind, it currently appears most likely that Amorim will take charge of United for the first time on November 24th for their trip to Ipswich Town, allowing the incoming boss the full two-week break to get settled and assess his eclectic squad of players.
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Despite the assumption of the move, Amorim chose to remain coy on links between himself and United, telling reporters: "Nothing to say yet, no announcement to make. Now I have nothing to say, we are here carrying out analysis.
"Everything I say will only create more noise. There is nothing to say about the matter. There is the statement, everyone knows. It was said by the club.
"Besides, we don't know the details for sure. We'll see. It will go through my decision as the statement said. But saying half things now doesn't seem best to me."
Manchester United next face Chelsea at Old Trafford when Premier League action returns this weekend
