Ruben Amorim reveals Manchester United’s brutal ultimatum as manager confirms Ratcliffe avoided key request

Ruben Amorim has revealed that Manchester United told him it was “now or never” to become their new manager after Sir Jim Ratcliffe rejected his decision to delay his departure from Sporting Lisbon, while while the coach made a short-term promise of a transfer after landing. work at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils confirmed the 39-year-old’s appointment on Friday just four days after ending Erik ten Hag’s career. The Dutchman leaves Old Trafford having led the club to two major trophies, but he is far from where they want to be in terms of position and form in the league. Manchester United, in 14th place, will therefore be confident that the only way is up.

Amorim has signed an initial contract at Old Trafford until 2027, with the option of a further year, and will take up his new role on Monday 11 November. His first game is scheduled to be away to Ipswich on Sunday, November 24, and his appointment will cost United paid £9.2 million (€11 million, $11.9 million) in compensation for meeting the terms of his release .

However, Amorim has now revealed that he initially asked Ratcliffe to delay his appointment until next summer, and the British billionaire mercilessly asked him the question of “now or never”.

Revealing everything that happened, Amorim told Portuguese media: “I spoke to the president (Frederico Varandas) and said, no matter what happens, this will be my last season at Sporting. The President is here. He can confirm this.

“The season has started, we know we started very well. And then the situation with Manchester United happened.

“Manchester United appears, they pay in excess of the compensation amount, and the president protects the interests of the club. I never discussed anything with the President about this trade.

“The only question I asked was whether to leave at the end of the season. For three days I said that I wanted to stay until the end of the season, but then they told me that this was impossible.

“It’s either now or never, otherwise Manchester would have chosen a different option. So, I had three days to make a decision that would radically change my life. But I had three days to make this decision, and I did it.”

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Telling how he wanted to take the next step and had no choice, Amorim added: “I had other opportunities – the president and (director of football) Hugo Viana can attest to that. This is not the first or second time that another team has asked me, and I don’t need another team.

“After Sporting, this is what I wanted, Manchester, and I need this context because this context allows me to do things my way and the club believes in me that way. It’s like Sporting.

“The moment has come when I need to take a step forward in my career. This is what happened.

“It was harder for me than any Sporting fan, believe me, but I had to do it.”

Revealing the depth of the dilemma he faces, the 39-year-old, who boasts a 70.74% win rate at Sporting, added: “I mean, let’s not beat around the bush.

“There was a club that said that if I turned it down now, in six months I wouldn’t get it, and I knew that in six months I would leave Sporting, so I didn’t want to regret not accepting it solution.

“I know it was disappointing for the Sporting fans, but I didn’t take the risk and wait until the end of the season and then I wouldn’t have the only club I wanted to coach.

“The President knows about this because I had other offers and I didn’t want them before, but I wanted this, so I made a decision.

“But now I go home happier because I explained. People say, “It’s all about the money,” but another team wanted to hire me before and they paid three times as much as Manchester.

Amorim understands that Sporting fans may not forgive him for the timing of his departure, but hopes they will at least understand.

In turn, he promised not to sign any of their players in the January window, although he confirmed he would also take his staff to Old Trafford with him.

“I will take my staff with me,” said Amorim. “This has always been one of my conditions.

“I’ve been bringing them since Casa Pia, the first club I coached. At the moment I am focused on the games, I am here to defend Sporting. That’s it until the end.”

Latest Manchester United transfer news: Five Sporting players linked with Amorim reunion

Despite Amorim’s vow not to sign any of Sporting’s stars in January, reports of the 39-year-old reuniting with some of his players at Old Trafford have already begun to gain traction.

The most obvious target is striker Victor Guioqueres, who scored four goals on Friday night as Amorim’s farewell tour began with a 5-1 rout of Estrela Amadora.

The Swede now has 20 goals and four assists in 16 matches this season, taking his tally for the reigning Primeira Liga champions to 63 goals in 66 appearances.

It is believed that the striker is angry that his manager has left, leading to speculation that he may well leave himself at the first opportunity. And while Tim Sherwood claims “United should 100% sign him”, we understand that doors open elsewhere in the Premier League.

United are also being linked with Ousmane Diomande at Old Trafford, although a deal for the defender will not come cheap.

However, sources have told TEAMtalk that Amorim’s real desired trio is another athletic trio, and we understand the three players’ names came up in his initial conversations with Ratcliffe and athletic director Dan Ashworth.

How Manchester United can line up under Ruben Amorim

Having been purveyors of the 3-4-3 system that had served him well throughout his career, United could field a completely different formation to the 4-2-3-1 favored by Ten Hag.

But do United have the players suited to this setup? Time will tell on this front, and a lot may depend on the fitness of some of these players.

There may also be a few high-profile crashes, and many players are not suited for such a system…

READ MORE: Ruben Amorim is set to immediately reject two Ten Hag signings in a brutal first act as Manchester United manager