Man Utd manager target Ruben Amorim's flight to UK for talks - 'My trip was a mistake'

Ruben Amorim could finally be on his way to the with the latest to chase him.

The current Sporting Lisbon boss has been , who was . Amorim has a release clause written into his deal, which United chiefs are willing to pay.

And should they do that, the 39-year-old will finally get the switch to England that he has long been linked with. Amorim was touted around the top-flight last season, with among the clubs to take a close look at him as they attempted to find a successor for .

with a Premier League club alongside businessman Raul Costa but it was to open dialogue with him as they too attempted to find a replacement for the outgoing . And it looked as though any move was set to be a coup for the Hammers as also reportedly held an interest in Amorim.

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But no Premier League move came to fruition for the Sporting Lisbon boss, who returned to Portugal with his tail between his legs. shortly after his trip, he said: "So let's get the elephant out of the room and I'll talk about it once. The first thing is to say that the club was aware of my trip. It's important and changes the context.

"Then, talk about the cloak of secrecy that surrounded the trip. I secretly parked the car outside, secretly walked past 15 people, past people and took photographs and got on a plane to take away a little bit of this thing that was all done behind the club's back, that didn't happen.

"Obviously my trip was a mistake, the timing was completely wrong, it didn't seem right at the time. It was wrong, especially when I'm so demanding with my players and always the first to say that each one's problems don't go away. They can overpower the team, I have already removed players from the squad for much less. It was my mistake, I have to accept it and live with it."

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And having been repeatedly asked about the purpose of his trip, Amorim was keen to move on. He said: "This is the last time I will talk about my future. There was no interview, much less of an agreement.

"The only thing we want, all of us here, is to be champions with Sporting and nothing will change. I'll say it again: I'm Sporting's coach. There was no interview with any club, no agreement with any club, I am focused, as always, on defending my club.

"And since I really have nothing to say, there will be no interviews or agreements with the Sporting coach. The matter is resolved, whether for his club or another."

Regardless of whether it was his decision or not, Amorim staying at Sporting Lisbon appeared to benefit him as he led the Portuguese side to another league crown. And in the immediate aftermath, he confirmed that he wanted to stay with the club.

“I'm staying, I have a contract with Sporting,” he said. “It's special. The first was atypical, with no public and no European competitions. This time, it had all that, and we did it! Now it's time to try for the third."

Amorim now has just under two years remaining on his deal with his current employers. And he now seems closer than ever to a move to the Premier League.

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