By Martin Graham
Manchester United have revealed that parting ways with Ruben Amorim could cost the club close to £16m. The Portuguese coach was removed from his position on 5 January, a day after criticising the club’s leadership following a 1-1 draw with Leeds.
The potential expense was outlined in documents submitted to the New York Stock Exchange. The disclosure came shortly after United announced a £32.6m profit for the second quarter ending 31 December 2025.
Within the filing, the club stated that an amortised amount of £6.3m — linked to bringing Amorim to Old Trafford from Sporting in November 2024 — had been written off. A further provision of £15.9m was recorded, representing the maximum sum the club might have to pay the former head coach and his staff.
Although the paperwork does not specify the conditions required to trigger the full payout, sources familiar with the matter have indicated it relates to potential future employment. Amorim has not spoken publicly about his spell at United, and those close to him suggest that is unlikely to change in the near future.
Costly managerial reshuffle
Amorim’s appointment had already required a significant financial commitment. In a previous filing dated 27 November 2024, United confirmed they paid Sporting £11m to secure his services after dismissing Erik ten Hag, whose departure cost £10.4m.
Taken together, the managerial changes connected to Amorim amount to £37.3m. His 14-month tenure was the briefest for a permanent United manager since David Moyes, who left after eight months in 2014.
During his time in charge, Amorim recorded 25 victories from 63 matches. The team finished 15th in the Premier League — their lowest league position since relegation in the 1973-74 campaign. They were also beaten in the Europa League final, resulting in no European competition this season for only the second time since 1990.
This campaign brought further disappointment when United were knocked out of the Carabao Cup in the second round by League Two side Grimsby on penalties. At the time of his dismissal, the club was sixth in the league table following a dispute with director of football Jason Wilcox shortly before the Leeds fixture.
On-field recovery and financial adjustments
Following Amorim’s departure, under-18s coach and former midfielder Darren Fletcher took temporary charge for two matches. Michael Carrick was then appointed until the end of the season and secured his fifth win in six games with victory over Everton on Monday.
The upturn in form has lifted United into fourth place, strengthening their prospects of qualifying for the Champions League.
The financial statement also noted that the club expanded its available credit facility from £50m to £400m. At the same time, £75m was repaid, leaving an outstanding balance of £215m.
Additionally, the filing disclosed that sponsorship services valued at £600,000 had been supplied to Ineos Automotive Ltd, a subsidiary of the Ineos group owned by minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe.