Ruben Amorim’s Manchester United in-tray as huge opportunity knocks amid clear problems

Manchester United are closing in on a deal for Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim following the sacking of Erik ten Hag.

United are keen to move quickly as they seek a replacement and are prepared to pay the compensation required to lure the 39-year-old from Portugal. He has built a burgeoning reputation in his homeland having ended Sporting’s 19-year wait for a title, improved their Champions League record and led them to a flawless domestic start to this season with nine wins from nine.

He is one of the most highly-rated managers in European football and coaxing him to Old Trafford would be something of a coup for Ineos and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, particularly given the obvious links to Manchester City after Amorim’s current technical director at Sporting, Hugo Viana, agreed to move to the Etihad next year. Should United complete a deal for Amorim he faces the task of restoring United to the top of the Premier League after a woeful start to this campaign and a dismal eighth-place finish last term. Here’s how the in-tray looks at Old Trafford.

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Amorim will no doubt want to implement a style and put his own stamp on this misfiring United side but priority number one is results. The Reds are 14th in the Premier League following the weekend defeat to West Ham and are closer to the relegation zone than the top four.

The first task is to climb the table and maximise the potential of an immediate fixture list that includes several home matches and several fixtures against bottom half sides. United also need to find victories in the Europa League having drawn all three of