Everything you need to know about new Man United manager Rúben Amorim

Manchester United have agreed to a deal bringing Sporting CP coach Rúben Amorim in to replace Erik ten Hag, but what type of manager are they getting?

In only his third senior job, Amorim, 39, guided Sporting to two Portuguese league titles after arriving from Braga in 2020. Prior to his appointment, the Lisbon giants had waited 19 years to end their title drought.

Usually favouring a defensive back three with attack-minded wing-backs, Amorim’s sides are attractive to watch. Starting play from the back and interchanging positions — with centre-backs even joining the buildup — Sporting are incredibly flexible and one of the most aggressive sides in Portugal without the ball.

Amorim was considered by Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and West Ham for their vacant managerial roles last season before he committed his future to Sporting at the end of last season. But now he has opted to test himself in the Premier League. So what can Man United expect?

A studious thinker

As a player, Amorim was seen as a studious, methodical thinker, enjoying a respectable career that saw him amass more than 100 games for Lisbon side Belenenses before rejoining Benfica, where he’d come through the youth ranks.

A tactically astute and technically gifted central midfielder who was particularly good at keeping the ball and building play from deep, he also proved valuable as a utility player, occasionally deputising at right-back. Though unusual for a top-level Portuguese footballer of his generation, he had to wait until he was 30 years old to move abroad, spending a season in Qatar at the tail end of a playing career that saw him win 14 senior international caps. — Karlsen

Barcelona also had Amorim high on their list of Xavi replacements at the end of the 2023-24 season, but a combination of his release clause at Sporting and the potential cost of reshaping the club’s squad to suit Amorim’s tactical approach led Barca to hire former Bayern Munich and Germany coach Hansi Flick instead.

And although Amorim held face-to-face discussions with West Ham, who were planning to part company with David Moyes, the coach quickly made it clear that he would not be moving to the London Stadium and instead said he would stay at Sporting for at least one more season. — Ogden

Was Amorim ever on Man City’s radar as a Guardiola replacement?

Manchester City have insisted this week that Amorim was not lined up to replace Pep Guardiola, citing the coach’s tactical approach as one significant reason for their lack of interest. Also, perhaps more importantly, Guardiola is still in charge and the club hope to extend his stay beyond the expiration of his contract next summer.

Ultimately, the Amorim connection with City was rooted in the Premier League champions’ hiring of Hugo Viana as replacement for Txiki Begiristain, who will step down from his post at director of football at the Etihad at the end of this season. Viana, who spent four years in England as a forward with Newcastle United between 2002-06, has been director of football at Sporting since 2018 and he hired Amorim from Braga in 2020. The 41-year-old has also been credited with developing Sporting’s highly regarded scouting network which has seen them sign and develop players such as Gyokeres, João Palhinha, Matheus Nunes and Ugarte, who signed for United this summer, a year after leaving Sporting for Paris Saint-Germain.

Despite his close connection with Viana, Amorim will not be heading to City. Instead, he has chosen to take his next step in the red half of Manchester with United. — Ogden