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• Man Utd decision was 'now or never' for Amorim

  Ruben Amorim says the decision to move to Manchester United during the season was made for him, after he was told it was "now or never".

  The 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon coach is set to make the move to Manchester on November 11, despite wanting to wait until the end of the season to make the switch.

  The move was announced on Friday, with Amorim agreeing on a contract that will keep him at the club until 2027.

  He becomes the sixth permanent manager at United since Alex Ferguson's departure 11 years ago.

  Sporting have made a flying start to the season with 10 wins from 10 putting them top of the Primeira Liga table, but Amorim was keen to attest he would have preferred to continue his victorious streak.

  "The season started, we started very well, and then Manchester United came, they pay above the compensation clause and the president defends the club's interests," he explained.

  "I never discussed anything with the president. For three days, I said I wanted to stay until the end of the season, but then I was told it was not possible.

  "It was now or never, or Manchester would go for another option. So, I had three days to make my mind up, to make a decision that radically changes my life."

  Amorim brought substantial success to the Portuguese capital, winning two league titles in the space of four seasons after the club had failed to do so in the 19 years prior.

  Despite being one of the most promising coaches in the game, the Lisbon-born manager asserted that only a call from Manchester would persuade him to leave his home club.

  "I've had other opportunities - the president and [director of football] Hugo Viana can confirm this," he added. "It's not the first or the second time that I have been requested by another team, and I don't want another team.

  "After Sporting I wanted that one, Manchester, and I want that context because that context allows me to do things my way, and the club believes me that way.

  "There's a time when I have to take a step forward in my career. That's what happened. It was harder for me than any Sporting fan, believe me, but I had to do this."

• 'Exceptional' Fernandes can thrive under Amorim, says former Man Utd coach Meulensteen

  Ruben Amorim's impending appointment as Manchester United boss will benefit skipper Bruno Fernandes, former Red Devils coach Rene Meulensteen believes.

  United confirmed on Friday, four days after they sacked Ten Hag, that Amorim would be coming in as their new head coach.

  The 39-year-old, who has won the Portuguese title twice in the space of three years, will join the Red Devils officially from November 11, after serving a notice period with Sporting CP.

  United have agreed to pay Sporting around £9.2million (€11m) in compensation, with Amorim signing a contract that will keep him at Old Trafford until June 2027.

  He will link up with compatriot Fernandes, who also swapped the Portuguese capital for Manchester back in January 2020.

  The skipper has been directly involved in 151 goals since his debut, the most of any midfielder across Europe's top five leagues during that time.

  And Meulensteen, who spent 12 years on the coaching staff at Old Trafford, thinks Fernandes will thrive under Amorim, and hopefully cut out some bad habits.

  "It's always important, but all managers expect certain things, have certain expectations from Bruno," he told Stats Perform. 

  "I do think Bruno is an exceptional player. He's been so important in so many goals, in terms of his assists and contributing goals himself. 

  "Although, there's also another side that we've seen in Bruno - which you don't like to see as a club captain - a little bit of petulant behaviour, like throwing the toys out of the pram if things are not going well. 

  "Obviously, they're both Portuguese, so that helps them in terms of speaking in their native language. 

  "It's going to be interesting. The way that he sets up his teams, he doesn't play with out-and-out wingers. He plays far more with people in between the pockets, which [the likes of Bruno] are suited to. 

  "As soon as he steps over that line and steps through the door, we will see very, very quickly how he's going to shape up the team."

• Man Utd must find a way to keep Van Nistelrooy at Old Trafford, says Meulensteen

  Rene Meulensteen believes Manchester United must do everything in their power to keep Ruud van Nistelrooy at the club, amid Ruben Amorim's impending arrival. 

  United confirmed the appointment of Sporting CP boss Amorim on Friday, four days after announcing they had parted ways with Erik ten Hag following a dismal run of form. 

  The Red Devils currently sit 14th in the Premier League after their first nine games of the season, and welcome Chelsea to Old Trafford this Sunday. 

  Van Nistelrooy, who joined Ten Hag's coaching staff in July, oversaw his first game as interim boss in midweek, earning a 5-2 win over Leicester City in the EFL Cup. 

  Amorim will officially take charge on November 11, meaning the Dutchman will remain at the helm for United's fixtures against Chelsea, PAOK and Leicester. 

  The Portuguese arrives at Old Trafford with an impressive resume, having guided Sporting to their first league title in 19 years, and winning the Primeira Liga again in 2023-24.

  His 120 victories in the league give him a 76.92% win ratio, which is the best of any Sporting coach on record. 

  But former United coach Meulensteen believes it is crucial Van Nistelrooy remains at the club, with his experience vital in helping Amorim understand the pressures of the job. 

  "I think the club will have to manufacture something. It's very clear that Amorim wants to bring his own staff, which I think is very understandable," Meulensteen told Stats Perform. 

  "He can look at it and say: 'OK, Ruud has got some experience with the players, and he might be able to help me to tell me this and that and the other'.

  "That's the conversation he needs to have. If he doesn't see a place for him in and around the first team, then he has to be clear about that as well.

  "Because at the end of the day, if you see a little bit of what happened with Erik, let's assume if Amorim had said: 'listen I'm staying in Sporting, I'm not doing it, forget it', then obviously we wouldn't have these conversations. 

  "Then, it would have been a little bit more quiet, and I would have said to Ruud: 'listen Ruud, you take over for now, right, and see how we go and see how you get on with it'.

  "And if that, for instance, started to come off, Ruud would have given the board and Ineos and all those people enough confidence to say: 'listen, I'll be more than capable of carrying on with it'.

  "Now they haven't gone that way, so I can also understand if the manager says: 'no, I don't want anybody that I don't know in that setup, because I really want to do my own thing'.

  "Ruud made it clear he wants to stay and be part of it, so at least that's a positive for the incoming manager. If the incoming manager has other plans, then the club has to find something different."

  Amorim will be United's youngest boss since 33-year-old Wilf McGuinness took charge of them on Boxing Day 1970 against Derby County.

  Since March 2020, when Amorim took charge, Sporting have the highest win percentage of any team across Europe's top 10 leagues (77% - 120 wins out of 156 games).

  His first game at the helm comes against Ipswich Town after the international break, but it remains to be seen whether Van Nistelrooy will remain alongside him.