Man Utd held secret talks with two other managers before Ruben Amorim appointment
Ruben Amorim has brought up a year as Manchester United's head coach but there was a chance of owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe moving for a different manager before his appointment
Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim wasn't the only contender to replace Erik ten Hag in 2024. United also explored moves for Thomas Tuchel and Roberto De Zerbi several months before landing the Portuguese, it has been claimed.
Ten Hag's position was under threat towards the end of the 2023/24 season, with the Premier League side considering their options after some concerning results and performances. After winning the FA Cup final, though, the Dutchman was given a stay of execution.
By the time Ten Hag eventually lost his job in October last year, De Zerbi and Tuchel had already found employment elsewhere. Former Brighton boss De Zerbi took over at Marseille shortly after leaving the Amex Stadium while Tuchel agreed terms with England in the autumn and ultimately took charge in January 2025.
According to The Athletic, United were still considering Tuchel a fortnight after their cup final win. The German met with United chiefs in Monaco but didn't reach an agreement and indeed is said to have not been prepared to return to football so soon after leaving Bayern Munich.
De Zerbi's talks, meanwhile, were reportedly halted after the Italian rejected an initial offer from United. An improved offer didn't arrive, and the 46-year-old is now in charge at Marseille.
READ MORE: Inside Ruben Amorim's first year at Man Utd from dream job to bombshell resignation offerREAD MORE: Sir Jim Ratcliffe's private stance on two Ruben Amorim replacements comes to lightUltimately, Ten Hag was backed in the transfer market to the tune of around £200million as United looked to turn things around under the ex-Ajax boss. He only lasted a few months, picking up 11 points from nine league games to leave United 14th in the table.
Results picked up under caretaker boss Ruud van Nistelrooy but Amorim was unable to inspire a full recovery in the league. He led the team to a Europa League final - and within 90 minutes of a trophy and a Champions League spot - but an eight-game winless run in April and May brought a 15th-place finish.
United made a slow start in Amorim's first full season but things have gradually picked up. Three wins on the spin have seen the Red Devils climb a congested table to sit in sixth place ahead of Saturday's meeting with Nottingham Forest.
“During my career as a manager, most of the time I was winning,” Amorim told MUTV as he brought up a year in charge. “When you are winning, you can say that you have convictions and you are loyal to your ideas, but you learn when you lose, when you are under pressure and I learned that when I’m under pressure, I’m stronger on my ideas and I keep with my ideas.
“Of course, it’s really important to feel the support of everyone in the club, especially the fans that help you, to give you that confidence to continue on your path, but that was the biggest learning point: when I’m under pressure, I can stick with my plan.”
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