Manchester United would have to pay Ruben Amorim £12million if they sack the Portuguese coach within the first year of his contract at Old Trafford.
The United hierarchy continue to back Amorim and are refusing to panic despite the club’s worst start to a league season in 33 years.
United appointed Amorim on November 1 last year on a two-and-a-half-year deal worth £6.5m a season with the option of a 12-month extension, after agreeing to pay Sporting Lisbon £9.2m to buy him out of his contract in Portugal.
It is understood that the 40-year-old would pocket £12m if he is axed before his first anniversary in the job, which is in less than seven weeks’ time. His coaching staff would also be in line for a pay-off.
United face a tricky run until that date, with Chelsea at home on Saturday followed by Brentford away and early-season upstarts Sunderland at home before the October international break, then Liverpool away and Brighton at home to close out the month. They then travel to Nottingham Forest on Amorim’s anniversary.
Although the Portuguese boss said in May that he would walk away without compensation if United decide he is no longer the right man, that is unlikely to be the case. United can ill afford to pay off their sixth manager since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013, with the club’s ongoing financial difficulties set to be revealed when their annual accounts are published at noon on Wednesday.
It is understood that Ruben Amorim would pocket £12million in compensation if he is sacked by Manchester United before his first anniversary in the role, which is November 1
Oliver Glasner (left) of Crystal Palace and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola are among the favourites to replace Amorim if he is sacked
More than £54m has already been spent in compensation to the previous five bosses and their backroom teams – David Moyes (£5.2m), Louis van Gaal (£8.4m), Jose Mourinho (£19.6m), Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (£10.5m) and Erik ten Hag (£10.4m).
United hope that another change of manager won’t be needed, and believe the stats show an improvement this season – despite winning just one of their four Premier League games and being dumped out of the Carabao Cup by League Two Grimsby Town.
Among the early bookmakers’ favourites if Amorim goes are his Portuguese compatriot Marco Silva of Fulham, Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner, Aston Villa’s Unai Emery and Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth.
No hiding place for Amorim
Worrying news in the wake of…