Man United can avoid history repeating itself as Ruben Amorim ‘clashes with two players’

Ruben Amorim's hopes of bringing Sporting CP's top talents to Manchester United appear to be dashed amid reports of dressing room discord at the Lisbon club.

The 39-year-old is on the brink of becoming Erik ten Hag's successor at Old Trafford after with United agreed to his £8.3million release clause. A number of Sporting players have been on United's radar for a while, and with Amorim joining, many anticipate official bids to be lodged in January.

However, according to Portuguese publication O Jogo, news of Amorim's potential exit has upset some of the players, including Red Devils targets Viktor Gyokeres and Morten Hjulmand. Indeed, several players reportedly confronted the manager during Wednesday's training session, citing the fact they were "enticed" to remain with the Primeira Liga champions over the summer after being assured that Amorim would also stay.

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This suggests that the Portuguese coach may face difficulties persuading certain players to follow him to Manchester, although this could be a silver lining considering Ten Hag's history of bringing former players to United.

After joining from Ajax in 2022, the Dutchman splashed out £129million on Antony and Lisandro Martinez, and later brought in Andre Onana, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui - three players who had previously been under his guidance at the Johan Cruyff Arena. Of the quintet, only Martinez has truly shone so far, despite the Argentine international's United career being hampered by injuries.

Antony, who was signed for a staggering £82m, has found it particularly tough going, with a mere five Premier League goals to his name during his two-year-plus tenure at Old Trafford. Onana's debut season was blighted by individual mistakes, although he has improved over time and is now showing why United splashed out on him last summer.

Elsewhere, De Ligt and Mazraoui, both summer arrivals, have largely failed to shore up United's porous defence, as evidenced by the team's recent dearth of clean sheets. United will undoubtedly be eager to avoid a similar scenario under Amorim, but that hasn't deterred them from casting admiring glances at several of Sporting's top talents.

Gyokeres, who has an impressive tally of 16 goals in 15 matches this season, is one such player, although United are not alone in their interest in the former Brighton and Coventry City forward. Arsenal, Liverpool, Chelsea and PSG are all keeping tabs on the Swede, who reportedly has an £85m release clause in his contract.

Sporting captain Hjulmand is also held in high regard at United, with the club believed to have made an enquiry about the Danish midfielder during the summer. Defenders Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande are also being linked with moves to Old Trafford, as are forwards Marcus Edwards, previously of Tottenham, and Pedro Goncalves, formerly of Wolves.

However, it's reported that United chiefs informed Amorim that a January transfer spree wasn't on the cards, as they primarily want him to maximise the potential of the club's existing players.

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