Manchester United are reportedly facing having to wait until at least the November international break to appoint Ruben Amorim as their new head coach due to the notice period in his Sporting Lisbon contract.
Amorim is Man United's leading target to replace Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday morning, and Red Devils officials have been in Portugal on Wednesday in the hope of securing his exit from the Green and Whites.
However, a deal has been complicated due to the 30-day notice period in his Sporting contract; Man United have signalled a willingness to pay his buy-out fee of €10m (£8.3m) immediately.
Sporting allegedly want a further €5m (£4.2m) to let him leave now, with that also including compensation for Carlos Fernandes, Adelio Candido and Jorge Vital, who Amorim allegedly wants to follow him to Old Trafford.
However, according to Sky Sports News, the Portuguese giants are currently planning to keep hold of the 39-year-old until the next international break, meaning that he would manage another three games before leaving.
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Amorim 'could' stay with Sporting until November international break
As a result, Amorim's first game in charge of Man United could come against Ipswich Town on November 24.
Ruud van Nistelrooy was named as the English club's new interim head coach when it was revealed that Ten Hag had lost his job, and the Dutchman will lead the team in Wednesday's EFL Cup fixture with Leicester City.
The club's former striker could also be in charge for the Premier League games with Chelsea and Leicester, which come either side of a Europa League contest with PAOK on November 7.
Van Nistelrooy is allegedly not expecting to remain at Man United once a new manager is confirmed, as Amorim will bring his own staff with him, which is also likely to lead to Rene Hake's departure.
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Could Amorim stay at Sporting until end of his notice period?
Sporting will not be able to prevent Amorim from leaving if his release clause is activated, but they can insist that he has to serve the full 30-day notice period before departing, which would mean that he does not move to Man United until December.
The Green and Whites allegedly want Amorim to stay for the full 30 days while they search for a replacement, but Man United will continue to work to bring him to Old Trafford at an earlier stage.
The highly-rated head coach has been in charge of the Lisbon giants since March 2020, boasting a record of 171 wins, 34 draws and 33 defeats from his 238 matches at the helm, winning five trophies in the process.
Amorim allegedly wants to bring three Sporting players with him to Old Trafford, while the Red Devils are also believed to be keen to sign Geovany Quenda from the Portuguese giants.
Matt Law
