Man United are moving closer to signing Sporting coach Ruben Amorim after being told the release clause figure

Manchester United appear to be moving closer to hiring Ruben Amorim after expressing their willingness to pay the Sporting Lisbon coach's release clause.

In a statement to the Lisbon Stock Exchange on Tuesday, Sporting said it had told United that Amorim had a release clause worth 10 million euros ($10.8 million) in his contract.

The Portuguese champions said United had “shown interest” in paying that amount for Amorim.

United are looking for a replacement Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday while the team were in 14th place in the Premier League.

Ten Hag was the 20-time English champions' fifth permanent manager since Alex Ferguson's resignation in 2013. United have not won the league since Ferguson's departure.

Amorim, 39, has coached Sporting since 2020 and led the team to the Portuguese championship title in 2021 and last season.

Sporting continue to lead the league this season and have won all nine games, cementing Amorim's reputation as one of Europe's most talented coaches.

He reportedly held talks with West Ham last season and was linked with replacing Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool before Arne Slot was hired.

Amorim is a former Portuguese midfielder who spent the majority of his club career with Benfica.

His contract with Sporting expires in 2026.

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Associated Press writer Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this story.

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AP Football: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer