Sporting Lisbon head coach Ruben Amorim will be the “natural choice” to replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, according to Record.
The Portuguese tabloid claims sources have told them that the 39-year-old’s chances of being hired by the Premier League champions have greatly increased due to the impending appointment of Hugo Viana as Director of Football.
Viana is expected to replace Txiki Begiristain at the end of the season, and he would be a big advocate for recruiting Amorim “if Guardiola leaves.”
Guardiola’s contract does expire at the end of June and, while his future is not necessarily tied to Begiristain, there is a strong possibility he could follow his fellow Spaniard out of the door.
Amorim has been linked with other Premier League teams
The Portuguese coach was formally interviewed for the West Ham job last summer. However, he subsequently expressed regret about travelling to the UK for the meeting and he signed a new contract, keeping him at Sporting until 2026 instead.
Amorim has also been linked with Chelsea. He was said to be on the shortlist before the appointment of both Mauricio Pochettino and Enzo Maresca.
Does he possess a good enough track record to take over at City?
Amorim is highly regarded in Portugal, having helped Sporting win two league titles in the last four years. Considering the Portuguese league was pretty much a duopoly between Porto and Benfica before that, it was some achievement to break their stranglehold.
Of course, there are questions about whether he could handle the step up to the Premier League. He has had three jobs in his career to date; all of which were with clubs in Portugal.
There is no doubt that Amorim is a very talented coach but other names will also be considered if Guardiola decides to quit.
Find out who is in Manchester City’s first-team squad for the 2024/2025 season here
