Mark Goldbridge raises Ruben Amorim Manchester United concern after West Ham twist. Manchester United should have concerns over Ruben Amorim after his previous talks with West Ham United, Mark Goldbridge has suggested.
Speaking on That’s Entertainment! (29 October), Goldbridge said that Amorim’s discussions with the Hammers hierarchy towards the back end of last season provide a cautionary tale for Manchester United. The Irons and Liverpool were both in talks with Amorim before landing on Julen Lopetegui and Arne Slot respectively, with a reported £17.2million release clause being the sticking point for David Sullivan [O Jogo, 23 April].
Goldbridge said: “We can’t hide away from the fact that he left Sporting to go and have an interview with West Ham, and then they didn’t go for him.
“I probably didn’t notice that – but I don’t think there’s any dispute in the fact that West Ham rejected him, and he was all out for the West Ham job. I don’t know why they rejected him.”
Ruben Amorim always a long shot to end up at West Ham. As well as a huge managerial release clause – which Manchester United appear far more willing to pay – the Irons hierarchy also had concerns over the sizeable backroom team Amorim brings with him.
The manager whom Sullivan and co did land on, Lopetegui, has hardly had a flying start to life in East London, but it was his side’s 2-1 win over Manchester United which saw Erik ten Hag lose his job.
West Ham did hold initial discussions with Ruben Amorim, but in the end hired Julen Lopetegui instead. The Red Devils, therefore, could end up appointing a manager whom the Hammers were interested in, an appointment set in motion by a defeat dealt by who the club decided to hire instead. Amorim being “rejected” by Hammers decision-makers isn’t entirely true, with sources within the club itself acknowledging that their approach for the Portuguese was “overly ambitious” [iNews, 1 May].
Such feelings won’t be felt by Manchester United, though, and with Amorim’s arrival at Old Trafford seemingly imminent, his first match-up with the Irons won’t be one to miss.
In other West Ham news, the Irons have been given a boost after one Nottingham Forest player missed an open training session.
