Back in April, West Ham United missed a golden opportunity to secure Ruben Amorim as their manager—a decision they may now regret as he edges closer to the Manchester United job following Erik ten Hag’s recent sacking.
Reports suggest that the 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon boss had actually agreed terms with West Ham six months ago, only for the club’s owners to back out over concerns about his £8.5 million release clause and the substantial number of backroom staff Amorim wanted to bring with him.
Instead, West Ham chose to appoint Julen Lopetegui as David Moyes’ successor, a decision that, in hindsight, appears increasingly questionable.
Now, Amorim is on the brink of taking one of the biggest jobs in English football, and it’s no surprise that Manchester United fans are buzzing at the prospect.
The young Portuguese coach has already made waves in his homeland, winning two league titles with Sporting and building a reputation as one of Europe’s brightest managerial talents.
The Hammers’ reluctance to act boldly is baffling. Despite having taken calculated risks in the past, such as splashing £10 million on Championship striker Jordan Hugill in 2018—a signing that turned out to be disastrous—West Ham’s owners seem hesitant to invest similarly in managerial talent.
Hugill’s time at West Ham was brief and unimpressive; he failed to score a single goal and made just three appearances before being offloaded to Norwich City in 2020 for around £5 million, resulting in a significant financial loss.
Yet, the club was willing to gamble on an unproven player, only to hesitate when it came to securing a proven, highly-rated young manager.
Amorim could have been the visionary appointment that propelled West Ham to new heights, bringing a fresh approach and a proven track record of success in Europe.
The Hammers have long needed a manager capable of building sustainable success, and Amorim’s name has consistently been linked with such potential.
But West Ham’s board deemed him “too risky”—a puzzling stance given the investment they’ve made in far less promising ventures.