Manchester United appear to be closing in on the recruitment of Ruben Amorim after expressing his willingness to pay the release clause for the Sporting Lisbon coach.

In a statement to the Lisbon stock exchange, Sporting said on Tuesday that it has told United that Amorim has a release clause worth 10 million euros ($10.8 million) in his contract.

The Portuguese champions said United have “shown an interest” in paying that amount for Amorim.

United are looking for a replacement Erik ten Hag, who was sacked on Monday with the team languishing in 14th place in the Premier League.

Ten Hag was the fifth permanent manager of the twenty-time English champions since Alex Ferguson retired in 2013. United have not won the league since Ferguson’s departure.

The 39-year-old Amorim has coached Sporting since 2020 and led the team to the Portuguese national title in 2021 and last season.

Sporting are again leading the league this season, having won all nine matches, cementing Amorim’s reputation as one of Europe’s most talented coaches.

He was reportedly in talks with West Ham last season and was linked with Jurgen Klopp’s replacement at Liverpool before Arne Slot was hired.

Amorim is a former Portuguese midfielder who spent most of his club career with Benfica.

His contract with Sporting expires in 2026.

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Associated Press writer Barry Hatton in Lisbon, Portugal, contributed to this story.

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AP football: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer