Manchester United’s decision to sack Ruben Amorim on Monday morning will cost the club a staggering £10.05 million in severance, bringing the total expenditure for his 14-month tenure to nearly £27 million. According to a report from the Daily Mail, the 40-year-old manager received the news of his termination during an early morning briefing at the Carrington training base with Chief Executive Omar Berrada and Director of Football Jason Wilcox.
The dismissal followed a disappointing 1-1 draw at Leeds United and a series of behind-the-scenes confrontations between the head coach and the club’s hierarchy regarding transfer strategy and institutional roles.
The financial breakdown of Amorim’s brief stay at Old Trafford highlights the significant cost of the club’s managerial instability. United initially paid £8.3 million to trigger his release clause at Sporting Lisbon in October 2024, plus an additional £900,000 to waive his notice period and facilitate an immediate start. Having signed a contract worth £6.5 million per year through June 2027, the remaining 18 months of his deal necessitate a payout exceeding £10 million. When combined with the wages paid during his time at the helm, the total financial impact reaches approximately £27.35 million—not including the millions spent on backroom staff and player recruitment.
Under-18s coach Darren Fletcher has stepped up as the interim manager and will lead the team for Wednesday’s Premier League clash against Burnley at Turf Moor. The club’s leadership reportedly grew weary of Amorim’s tactical rigidity and his public demands for more control over recruitment. During his final press conference at Elland Road, an agitated Amorim told the scouting department and Jason Wilcox to “do their job,” a remark that served as the catalyst for his exit. United currently sits in sixth place, and the board believes a fresh leadership approach is necessary to secure Champions League qualification for next season.
While Amorim departs with a significant financial settlement, tax analysts suggest he will only retain roughly £5.5 million of the payout after the UK Treasury collects nearly half in income tax and employer contributions. For Manchester United, the search for a seventh permanent manager since the retirement of Sir Alex Ferguson begins immediately. The club reportedly favors candidates like Oliver Glasner or Michael Carrick to steady the ship, though many fans remain frustrated by the recurring cycle of expensive dismissals under the Sir Jim Ratcliffe-led sporting department.
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