‘It’s substantial’ – Man United board mulling cost of major decision
Man United will need to weigh up the costs associated with sacking Ruben Amorim before letting the Portuguese manager go.
That is according to football finance expert Dr Dan Plumley, who told Football Insider exclusively that recent outlays on firing managers will cause the club to be hesitant.
Goals from Igor Thiago and Mathias Jensen gave Brentford a 3-1 win over Man United on Saturday, 27 September, condemning Amorim to his 21st loss in 49 games in charge of the Red Devils.
The walls seem to be closing in on the former Sporting CP boss, and Matt Le Tissier told Football Insider he thinks Oliver Glasner would be the ideal replacement at Man United.
However, given the Red Devils’ recent outlay on firing managers and with reduced revenue streams this season, sporting performance may not be the only factor when it comes to deciding Amorim‘s fate.
Man United may be keeping Ruben Amorim for financial reasons
Speaking to Football Insider exclusively, Plumley explained that the decision to fire Amorim would not be an easy one as there would be significant costs attached to firing him and finding a replacement.
The finance expert explained: “It’s a huge factor, isn’t it? They’ve spent at least £55 million on sacking managers since Sir Alex Ferguson left.
“That’s a decent amount of money by anyone’s stretch, and I think it was around £10-11m to bring Amorim in. We’ve seen the trend, and it does hit the finances.
“It’s one of those where if you are going to sack that manager, that comes at a cost.
“Now, he’s got a couple of years left on his contract, so we don’t quite know what that number would be, but it’ll be, you know, in the low millions, for sure, given where he’s at.
“If you then look at the other side of that equation, it becomes that risk management approach to how you want to view it, because each place in the Premier League is worth about £3 million.
“They’ve just come off the back of their lowest ever season in broadcast and prize money revenue terms because of where they finished. They’ve got no European football.
“So, if they do have aspirations to push on at the table, then you might find that they do end up sacking him, because the trade-off might be, well, if we can finish higher, then we’re gonna offset some of that cost.
“The cost is substantial. I think it is being factored in to the decision-making process, absolutely.
“It may be why he’s still there at the moment, but again, in football and with Man United and managers, never say never at the minute.”
Xavi may be United’s best option if finances are an issue
Several names have already emerged as potential Amorim replacements recently, including Glasner, Marco Silva, and Fabian Hurzeler.
However, one issue that arises with each of these options is that they are all employed, and the Red Devils would likely need to pay a fee to their existing clubs to hire them.
Xavi has been linked with the Man United job, and having left Barcelona in 2024, the Catalan manager would not have the same cost attached.
Given his status in world football, the World Cup winner would likely have significant wage demands, but the same can be said for any manager set to take over at Old Trafford.
What’s more, his instant availability would make him a very appealing option to take over from Amorim if United decide to let the 40-year-old go midway through this season.