Ruben Amorim reportedly wants Man Utd to sign 17-year-old winger Geovany Quenda from Sporting after finalising his move to Old Trafford.
Amorim, 39, is expected to be appointed as Erik ten Hag’s successor at Man Utd after the Dutch manager was sacked on Monday.
Ten Hag lost his job after the Red Devils’ fourth Premier League defeat in nine games this season.
Despite rumours linking several managers, including Xavi, Graham Potter, Gareth Southgate and Thomas Frank, with the job, Sporting’s Amorim has quickly emerged as the club’s top target.
Man Utd are reportedly working on a deal to have the Portuguese head coach in the dugout for Sunday’s Premier League match against Chelsea, with assistant manager Ruud van Nistelrooy in charge of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup clash at home to Leicester City.
Some fans had hoped to see Van Nistelrooy given the job on a permanent basis but he will not be given the chance to prove himself to Ineos, with Amorim a case of when, not if.
Ten Hag brought quite a few of his former Ajax players to Man Utd only to see them flop in England, yet a few Sporting players are being linked with a move alongside Amorim.
MORE ON MAN UTD FROM F365
👉 The ten worst signings Erik ten Hag made at Manchester United sum up incredible waste
👉 West Ham claim Erik ten Hag as their ninth Premier League manager scalp
👉 Man Utd bungled every aspect of Ten Hag’s drawn-out exit, up to and including the sacking itself
Goal machine Viktor Gyokeres would be a fantastic addition but is unlikely to be a priority with Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee at the club.
A more realistic addition would be teenage winger Quenda, who made his first Liga Portugal appearance in August and scored his first league goal on Saturday against FC Famalicao.
According to reports in Spain, Man Utd have ‘set their sights on’ Quenda and had scouts in attendance for the 3-0 win away to Famalicao.
It is claimed that the 17-year-old has ‘earned Amorim’s trust and the interest of Premier League teams, including Man Utd, who are closely following his progress’.
Man Utd co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe is keen on signing ‘young talents’ and views Quenda as ‘a viable alternative to strengthen the attack’ after the club wasted big money on flops like Jadon Sancho and Antony.
Unfortunately for Ratcliffe, Sporting want Quenda’s €100million (£83million) release clause paid as the Portuguese champions believe that fee ‘would reflect his long-term value and potential in European football’.
Fortunately for Ratcliffe, Quenda could push for a move with Amorim set to become Man Utd’s head coach.
It is unclear if Amorim will be in charge against Chelsea on Sunday. One report from Mike Keegan of the Daily Mail says the two clubs are currently ‘locked in talks’ due to the 39-year-old’s ‘notice period’ in Lisbon.
