Why Manchester United chose Amorim over Xavi has been revealed, with sources detailing what type of manager they will be getting

It has become clear why Manchester United chose Ruben Amorim despite talks with Xavi, and sources have shed light on exactly what type of manager United are hiring in Amorim.

Manchester United chief executive Omar Berrada led a four-member delegation to Spain last week for talks with former Barcelona boss Xavi. This was clearly on the mind of Erik ten Hag, who was subsequently sacked following United’s devastating 2-1 defeat to West Ham.

But rather than increase their interest in Xavi, Manchester United have instead targeted Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim as their main target.

The 39-year-old is open to a move and various reports claim that a verbal agreement has been reached between the manager and the club. United are fully prepared to pay the €10 million release clause required to secure Amorim.

As Amorim’s appointment drew near, Daily Mail told why Manchester United abandoned Xavi.

They suggested there were two reasons, the first being Javi’s reluctance to accept a new role mid-season. The second question was about Javi’s family and the inconvenience of moving to England at the moment.

The report added that there was a “family problem that would make it difficult for him to move to England before the end of the election campaign.”

With plans for Xavi on hold, Manchester United have put their eggs in Amorim’s basket, and a second report from Mail revealed details about exactly what type of manager they hire…

Insiders lift the lid on Ruben Amorim

Amorim’s idol as a manager is Jose Mourinho, and the 39-year-old has previously stressed that his reference point is Mourinho, not Pep Guardiola.

“I’ve always looked up to Mourinho,” Amorim replied when asked the question, although he acknowledged that Guardiola is currently the No. 1 coach in world football.

The report then quoted a former colleague of Amorim’s, who wished to remain anonymous because he now works for another club.

“The best word to describe Ruben is sincere,” the source said. “He values ​​relationships, makes everyone in the building feel heard, from the team captain to the office staff – it creates a winning mentality.

“He’s loud, but never aggressive or rude. He is a leader and makes everyone feel like they are working with him and not below him. But its best feature is the communication that makes everyone feel united and trustworthy.”

Portuguese football expert Tom Kundert added: “He is a brilliant communicator. He is very open at press conferences, happy to answer all questions – even the stupid ones – with an informative answer.

“And he also maintains a wonderfully cheerful demeanor even when pressure is put on him. He is one of those coaches who instills a great spirit among the entire team and this is undoubtedly the fruit of his communicative approach.

“In five years as a coach, I can’t remember him ever publicly criticizing any of his players, and I can’t remember a single news story about an unhappy player. When things don’t go as planned for Sporting under Amorim, he turns all the attention to himself.

“He will say something like: ‘We lost because Sporting have a coach who is still inexperienced, learning the trade and made a mistake today.’ Overall, he is a very friendly person and usually handles any disputes or quarrels with rival coaches very well.”

Amorim has won five major honors since taking charge of Sporting in 2020. Two of these were Premier League titles, with Sporting’s success in 2020/21 marking their first league title in 20 years.

Amorim mainly uses a 3-4-3 or 3-4-2-1 formation, which Athletic“built on high possession, flexible attacking approaches and a solid defensive foundation.”

The shackles were loosened somewhat last season with the arrival of star striker Victor Giokeres from Coventry City. Ghiokeres scored an incredible 43 goals in 50 matches and increased his tally to one goal per game under Amorim this season (14 goals in 14 matches).

READ MORE: Erik ten Hag’s sacking: Five of the lowest points from the Dutchman’s troubled tenure at Manchester United

HAVE YOU SEEN: Ranking all players signed by Erik ten Hag at Manchester United, from WORST to BEST

Ruben Amorim’s latest move to Manchester United

As mentioned, various sources, including Florian Plettenberg, Ben Jacobs and Fabrizio Romano, have stated that Manchester United and Amorim have verbally agreed or at least partially agreed on a deal.

Manchester United is fully prepared to pay the 10 million euros that will be required to terminate Amorim’s contract with Sporting.

His deal with Sporting contains a three-tier clause: Portuguese clubs must pay €30 million, most European clubs must pay €20 million, and the seven biggest teams must pay a minimum fee of €10 million.

Portuguese outlet Bola claim Manchester United fall into the third category, meaning they would only need to pay €10 million to get Amorim out of his Lisbon deal. The other six clubs in this category are Real Madrid, Barcelona, ​​Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Manchester City and Juventus.

Elsewhere talkSPORT said Amorim intends to more than triple his existing salary, believed to be £2.15 million a year.

However, Guardian Jamie Jackson has said it is currently “unlikely” Amorim will be available for Manchester United’s Premier League clash with Chelsea on Sunday.

United face Leicester in the EFL Cup on Wednesday before attention turns to Chelsea. Per Jackson, caretaker manager Ruud van Nistelrooy is likely to remain in charge of both of these matches.

Manchester United hire serial winner