Manchester United Could Pay Nearly £16m After Sacking Ruben Amorim

Manchester United have confirmed that the dismissal of Ruben Amorim could cost the club close to £16 million.

The Portuguese manager was sacked on 5 January, a day after publicly criticising the club’s hierarchy following a 1-1 draw at Leeds.

The figure was disclosed in a filing to the New York Stock Exchange on Thursday, one day after United announced a £32.6 million profit in their second-quarter financial results for the period ending 31 December 2025.

Classified as an “event that occurred after the reporting period,” the club confirmed that an amortised fee of £6.3 million, linked to the cost of bringing Amorim from Sporting in November 2024 had been written off. In addition, a “provision of £15.9 million” has been made, representing the maximum potential payout due to Amorim and his coaching staff.

While the filing does not explicitly state what would trigger the full payment, sources familiar with the matter indicate it relates to future employment terms.

Amorim has yet to speak publicly about his time at Old Trafford, and sources close to the 41-year-old suggest there is no immediate plan for him to do so.

His departure brings to an end an expensive managerial experiment that ultimately failed to deliver results.

In a similar filing dated 27 November 2024, United confirmed they had paid £11 million to Sporting to secure Amorim’s services as successor to Erik ten Hag, whose own exit cost the club £10.4 million.

Altogether, the managerial changes linked to Amorim could amount to £37.3 million.

His 14-month tenure was the shortest reign of a permanent United manager since David Moyes was dismissed just eight months into his spell in 2014.

Amorim won 25 of his 63 matches in charge, guiding United to a 15th-place finish in the Premier League — the club’s lowest league position since their relegation in the 1973-74 season.

They also suffered defeat in the Europa League final, leaving them without European football this season for only the second time since 1990.

This campaign, Amorim’s side endured further embarrassment when League Two outfit Grimsby eliminated them on penalties in the Carabao Cup second round.

United were sixth in the Premier League at the time of his dismissal, following a reported fallout with director of football Jason Wilcox in the days leading up to the Leeds match.

Under-18s coach and former United midfielder Darren Fletcher was appointed interim manager for two matches. However, Michael Carrick has since taken charge until the end of the season and secured his fifth win in six games with a victory over Everton on Monday.

United have climbed to fourth place and are now well positioned to qualify for the Champions League.

In related financial updates, the club confirmed it has increased its available credit under a revolving facility by £50 million to £400 million. After repaying £75 million, United’s outstanding balance on the facility stands at £215 million.

The filing also disclosed that £600,000 worth of “sponsorship services” had been provided to Ineos Automotive Ltd, a subsidiary of the Ineos group owned by United’s minority shareholder, Jim Ratcliffe.