Manchester United planning replacement for Ruben Amorim: report

Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, looks dejected during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Grimsby Town and Manchester United at Blundell Park on August 27, 2025 in Grimsby, England.
Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, looks dejected during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Grimsby Town and Manchester United at Blundell Park on August 27, 2025 in Grimsby, England. (Image credit: George Wood/Getty Images)

Manchester United's Carabao Cup exit may have been the final straw for Ruben Amorim.

He has collected just 28 points from 29 Premier League games, which includes just seven wins, and it looks like it's going to be another tough season at Old Trafford.

Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbuemo and Benjamin Sesko, who arrived for a combined €225 million, are yet to score and despite coming back from 2-0 down in the week, the team looked uninspired against League Two Grimsby and they eventually fell to defeat on penalties.

Manchester United planning replacement for Ruben Amorim

Ruben Amorim, Manager of Manchester United, looks dejected after his team concede during the Carabao Cup Second Round match between Grimsby Town and Manchester United at Blundell Park on August 27, 2025 in Grimsby, England.

Ruben Amorim looks dejected after his team concede during the Carabao Cup Second Round match against Grimsby Town (Image credit: Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

Manchester United face newly promoted Burnley at Old Trafford this weekend, a fixture that normally would feel like a routine win, but recent performances suggest it will be far from it.

Amorim has received significant backing this window, and it would be a surprise if they were to sack him, but a poor result against Burnley may leave them with no choice but to part ways.

Ruben Amorim was left shocked at one journalist's question in his post-match press conference

Ruben Amorim in a press conference (Image credit: Manchester United/MUTV)

According to CaughtOffside, they are planning for that eventuality and a shortlist has been drawn up on the chance Manchester United sack Amorim.

Oliver Glasner and Andoni Iraola are two names said to be on that shortlist, both doing impressive jobs with limited resources at Crystal Palace and Bournemouth respectively.

Glasner, who delivered Palace's first two major trophies ever, is said to be top of the list, with the report suggesting he would be keen to take the reigns at Old Trafford should the option arrive.

There is also a longstanding interest in Gareth Southgate, but INEOS, who control the footballing side of Manchester United, are said to be cautious of the response of hiring the former England boss.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner waves as he arrives at the stadium ahead of the FA Cup quarter-final match against Fulham at Craven Cottage in London, UK on 29 March, 2025.

Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner (Image credit: Alamy)

Amorim has been brutally honest on his future, saying 'sometimes he wants to quit' his position at Manchester United.

In his pre-Burnley press conference he said: "Sometimes I want to quit, sometimes I want to be here for 20 years. Sometimes I love to be with my players. Sometimes I don't want to be with my players. I need to improve on that. It is going to be hard."

It comes after following the penalty shoot-out defeat to Grimsby he said: "I think the team and the players spoke really loud today. That's it. We lost. The best team won.

"It's really clear what they spoke. Let's move on from this day. I think it was really clear for everybody what happened today."

MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - AUGUST 17: Manchester United's Harry Maguire reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford on August 17, 2025 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Alex Dodd - CameraSport via Getty Images)

Manchester United's Harry Maguire reacts during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Arsenal at Old Trafford (Image credit: Getty Images)

Amorim has been in the role just shy of 10 months, but a change feels inevitable. With no European commitments this season, Manchester United now have just the FA Cup and their league position to fight for.

After such a significant outlay so far this season, it remains to be seen how long INEOS can hold off before pulling the trigger and sacking Amorim.

Ewan Gennery
Freelance writer

Ewan is a freelance writer and social media manager who has worked for The Athletic, GOAL, 90min and OneFootball. From Gelsenkirchen to Riyadh, he has covered some of the biggest games in football in his three years in the industry.

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