After being “forced” to leave Sporting Lisbon, Ruben Amorim joins Manchester United.

United told Ruben Amorim that it was “now or never” if he wanted to stay at Sporting Lisbon until the end of the season.

The club confirmed on Friday afternoon that Amorim will join United on November 11, after playing his last two games for Sporting. United decided to pay £9.25 million to get the 39-year-old out of his contract with Sporting. He has signed a deal that will keep him there until June 2027 and will make £6 million a season.

It was a tough night for Amorim on Friday when he led Sporting to a win against Estrela da Amadora at the Estádio Jose Alvalade. After getting a standing ovation, he looked touched as he talked about how the United move came about in his press conference after the game.

Manchester United tried to hire their first-choice manager in Lisbon on Monday, the same day they fired Erik ten Hag, but they ran into some problems.

According to Amorim, “I can’t say much. People are feeling what they need to feel at this point. The situation needed to be explained. When the season started, I told the boss and Hugo Viana, who was the director of football, that it would be my last season at Sporting, no matter what happened.

We began to have a great season as the season began. Before United arrived, they paid the clause and more, and the boss looked out for his own interests. The boss and I never talked about anything. They told me it had to happen now or never after I only asked that it happen at the end of the season.

It’s now been revealed that Amorim wanted to wait a lot longer before his first game in charge of United, which will be on November 24 against Ipswich.

The choice I had to make would have changed my life forever in three days. My clause has been paid for by another club before. Both of them. The club and the setting were what I wanted. Same thing as Sporting. Leaving hurts a lot. Why? Because I like Sporting more than any other fan.

“There was nobody getting lost.” We have to look out for everyone’s best interests. I didn’t want to play the victim, but I had to because I was the only one in this dead zone. I promised to stay for as many games as were needed. Before, I didn’t say anything because I couldn’t. That’s how the choice stands.”

“It looked like the club knew that if I turned it down, I wouldn’t have it in six months.” I knew in six months I wouldn’t be working at Sporting anymore.

“That was the only club I wanted.” It got to the point where I had to choose, and I did. I feel much better about going home now. It would have paid me three times as much to work for the last club that met my terms. All of my strength was put into the club.