Man Utd planning to hijack Man City's Pep Guardiola succession plan after crisis meeting
Manchester United and Manchester City could both find themselves in the hunt for a new manager in 2025 and there's one man who is very much on the radar of both clubs
by Tom Victor · The MirrorManchester United are eyeing up Manchester City-linked Ruben Amorim as a potential successor to Erik ten Hag, it has been claimed.
Sporting CP boss Amorim has been mentioned in connection with City after Hugo Viana's move from the Lisbon club was announced earlier in October. Viana will take over from Pep Guardiola's close ally Txiki Begiristain as the Manchester club's sporting director, prompting speculation over Guardiola's own future.
The City boss insisted he is in no rush to make a decision on whether he'll extend his stay at the Etihad Stadium. Similarly, Amorim has insisted he is only focused on his current club.
The reigning Premier League champions aren't the only ones who might be interested in Amorim, though. And their rivals Manchester United could yet make a change in the dugout themselves after holding crisis talks over the future of Erik ten Hag, though victory over Brentford on Saturday may have eased the immediate pressure on the Dutchman.
According to Sky Sport Deutschland, United have already made 'specific enquiries' over the 39-year-old manager. Amorim is said to be on the shortlist of both Manchester clubs, though City could yet learn Guardiola plans to extend his stay.
The same publication reports that Amorim has a release clause in his contract which comes into force in summer 2025, though the deal itself doesn't expire until the end of next season. Amorim is expected to remain in Lisbon for the remainder of the campaign, with a winter exit not thought to be a consideration.
Reigning champions Sporting sit top of the Primeira Liga with eight wins from eight games, and they have four points from their first two Champions League outings. Amorim's team also progressed in the cup on Friday night, with summer signing Conrad Harder scoring a last-minute winner away at Portimonense.
Where will Ruben Amorim manage next? Have your say in the comments section
Before the Portimonense game, Amorim was asked about potentially being ready to take charge of a team like City. “No, I feel ready to continue working at Sporting, this year with even more responsibility, because everyone can see that Sporting is on a different level and on par with the others.
"Thank God I’m the coach, I resolve the things I know how to resolve," he added when asked how he would respond to the City links if he was Sporting's president. "I don’t know how I would deal with it. That’s why the president is the president and I’m the coach."
Amorim's Sporting will be back in European action on Tuesday when they travel to Austria to face Sturm Graz. Sturm have yet to pick up a point in the league phase, suffering narrow defeats against Brest and Club Brugge after reaching the Champions League proper for the first time in more than 20 years.
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