Manchester. Manchester United dismissed manager Erik ten Hag on Monday following a poor start to the season, leaving the 20-time English champions in 14th place. British media reported that United is in talks with Ruben Amorim, coach of Sporting Lisbon, to replace him.

Despite winning two domestic cups during his 2.5-year tenure, Ten Hag faced mounting pressure after heavy home defeats to Liverpool and Tottenham and a recent 2-1 loss to West Ham, his final game in charge. United has won only once in its last eight games across all competitions.

Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ten Hag’s assistant and a former United striker, will step in as interim head coach while the club searches for a permanent replacement.

Sporting’s Amorim, who won the Portuguese league titles in 2021 and 2024, reportedly agreed in principle to take the job, with compensation details under negotiation. United declined to comment publicly on Amorim.

Other candidates rumored for the position include Brentford’s Thomas Frank, former England coach Gareth Southgate, ex-Chelsea manager Graham Potter, and former Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez. Frank, however, stated he is “very happy” at Brentford.

Ten Hag, who joined from Ajax in 2022, was brought in to revive the club after its decline since Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013. Though he won the League Cup in 2023 and the FA Cup this year, United has struggled, finishing eighth last season and trailing 12 points behind current leaders Manchester City.

After an extensive end-of-year review, Ten Hag was granted a contract extension to 2026. But United’s new soccer leadership, led by minority owner Jim Ratcliffe, expressed dissatisfaction with the club’s progress. Ten Hag’s tenure saw about £615 million ($800 million) spent on new players, second only to Chelsea.

The club’s recent slide under Ten Hag marks its worst league campaign in 34 years, with the team struggling to secure a Champions League spot.

Former United defender Gary Neville called United’s current standing “unacceptable” given its spending, saying the recent loss made Ten Hag’s dismissal unsurprising.

Captain Bruno Fernandes and winger Alejandro Garnacho expressed gratitude to Ten Hag on Instagram, wishing him well. Fernandes wrote, “Thanks for everything boss!”

United’s next game is against Leicester in the English League Cup on Wednesday.

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