Ruben Amorim interned for Jose Mourinho, revamped Sporting and turned Championship striker into £83m goal machine

Sporting Lisbon's Ruben Amorim is a coach who “delivers and delivers quickly”, according to talkSPORT's Kevin Hatchard.

talkSPORT understands that the Portuguese coach has reached a verbal agreement with manchester united succeed Erik ten Hagwho was dismissed on Mondays.

Members of the United hierarchy sounded out Amorim last week when INEOS boss Sir Dave Brailsford met with the 39-year-old, and the club intend to close the meeting quickly.

Better-known names, such as former England manager Gareth Southgate and Germany manager Julian Nagelsmann, have been Frequently linked with Old Trafford workwhile Amorim is an unknown entity in this country.

But thanks to talkSPORT's European football expert Hatchard, Red Devils fans can be sure he has the credentials the club are looking for.

He told talkSPORT Breakfast: “I can completely understand why Man United are banking on him. He has long been one of the most enterprising young coaches in European football.

“If you look at the success he has had, not only at Sporting, but also at Braga before that. Amorim was promoted from Braga and within two months he had already achieved his first victory at Benfica in 65 years. I think they won their first game (against Belenenses) 7-1.

“In those first two months, he had done enough to convince Sporting to pay €10m (£8.3m) to terminate his contract. “So you already knew he was a guy who was doing special things very, very quickly.”

And former Benfica midfielder Amorim did not disappoint when he arrived in Lisbon in 2020.

“Upon arriving at Sporting, he managed to take them to fourth place and in his first full season won the First League title for the first time in 19 years,” Hatchard continued. “So this is a guy who delivers, but he delivers quickly.

“That's obviously what Manchester United need if they want to save this season.”

He continued: “(Their football) will be offensive, but there is also pragmatism there. They play possession-based attacking football. But if we look at that season in which they won the First League title for the first time, they only conceded 20 goals.”

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Amorim is also associated with a name much more familiar to Man United fans: former Red Devils and Porto manager Mourinho.

“He has not hidden the fact that he has admiration for Jose MourinhoHatchard explained. “And he actually went to visit Mourinho when Mourinho was the manager of Manchester United. So it's that mix.

“Yes, they play exciting football. Anyone who has seen them will know that there is a lot of breadth to their game. They involve the sides.

“They had Pedro Porro, before he went to Spurs, they also had Nuno Mendes before he went to Paris Saint-Germain and now they have some very interesting full-backs there too. So yes, they play exciting football.

“They score goals, but they also have that structure.”

talkSPORT's Henry Winter also told listeners how Amorim organizes its teams.

“They have a fantastic coach who plays a completely different style,” he said. “He plays 3-4-3. It will be different from the 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.

“So, once again, they will have to enter the transfer market and get stronger, bring in stronger characters, stronger players physically and mentally.”

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Coventry City fans praised Viktor Gyokeres while he was at the club, and he has gone one step further since joining Lisbon for £20m and playing with Amorim.

The forward has accumulated 76 goals and assists in 64 games with the Portuguese coach. He has already scored 14 goals in 14 games this season. As a result, he has a release clause of €100m (£83m).

Hatchard continued: “There was Gyokeres, who we know of course from English football, he had to change a little bit because he was used to having a more fluid front three.

“I had Paulinho there. He was more of a center forward, but he was also very happy to have a fluid front three.

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“Gyokeres went there and said, okay, I can change this a little bit. And he scored many goals since he arrived there.

“Pedro Gonçalves has been a great player since he arrived there in that first season for the title. He scored 23 goals from midfield. He has more goals than anyone else in the league that year. And the second season they won (the league), it was like double figures in goals and assists.

“Sebastian Coates, who Liverpool Fans will remember, he was a big part of the success of that title. The first time, very, very strong as a central defender.

“There is a license for one of those centre-backs to advance and help. Sometimes you’ll see that.”

Amorim has won two Primeira Liga with Sporting, first in 2021 and then again in 2024. He also lifted the League Cup in 2021 and 2022.

So with his track record of bringing out the best in players and winning titles, Hatchard's account of Amorim's career is likely to be music to the ears of United fans.