Manchester United secretly courted Ruben Amorim through a clandestine five-hour meeting and ultimately paid above his release clause, despite his initial hesitation and absence from their preferred coaching shortlist, according to new reports detailing the behind-the-scenes negotiations culminating a year ago.
The Athletic report outlines the pivotal meeting that occurred on October 18 in Seville, Spain, between Amorim and top United officials. Amorim, then manager of Sporting, and his agent Raul Costa drove to the Spanish city after a Portuguese Cup match.
United executives Jason Wilcox, Dan Ashworth, and Omar Berrada arrived by private jet directly from Manchester. The intense, five-hour discussion took place at a private residence.
During the meeting, Amorim outlined his football philosophy, including a preference for a system with three central defenders, while emphasizing his adaptability. United officials were reportedly “impressed with his charisma, tactical and emotional intelligence,” as well as his communication style with players using video analysis.
Amorim repeatedly questioned the timing of the approach, asking, “Why now? Why not at the end of the season?” United officials countered that a mid-season appointment would grant him crucial months to adapt to the squad, club, and English league.
A week after the Seville meeting, Omar Berrada, then Manchester United’s chief executive, initiated formal negotiations with Amorim’s agent. United felt “unequivocally” that Amorim was their top target.
Adding to United’s strategic considerations was the impending move of Amorim’s friend, Hugo Viana, to rival Manchester City. This sparked internal discussion within United that Amorim could potentially be a future successor to Pep Guardiola.
By October 25, contract terms were finalized. Amorim, who had been hesitant due to Sporting’s strong performance at the time, accepted the offer the following Saturday.
Berrada, who had already engaged in informal discussions with Sporting, traveled discreetly to Lisbon on a commercial flight to finalize the deal. He met with Sporting’s sports director Hugo Viana and financial vice-president Francisco Salgado Zenha.
After initial talks on Monday night failed to yield an agreement, negotiations resumed the following Tuesday. United ultimately agreed to pay €11 million (approximately $11.75 million), exceeding Amorim’s €10 million (approximately $10.68 million) release clause.
Amorim remained with Sporting for two more matches before the transfer was officially announced on November 1.
Curiously, Amorim was not on United’s initial list of candidates when the club decided to change coaches in late May. That shortlist included Thomas Tuchel, Mauricio Pochettino, Roberto De Zerbi, Thomas Frank, Graham Potter, and Marco Silva. At the time, Amorim was reportedly not considered due to his lack of Premier League experience, though he remained under observation before ultimately being chosen.