Manchester United have formally disclosed the financial cost of sacking Ruben Amorim in January, and the figure runs to almost £16 million in potential settlement payments before the write-off of fees already paid to bring him from Sporting CP.
A filing to the New York Stock Exchange revealed a charge of £6.3 million for the write-off of related intangible assets, alongside a provision of £15.9 million representing “the maximum potential amount of future settlement payments” due to Amorim and five members of his coaching staff who departed with him.
United’s statement read: “On 5 January 2026, the club announced that Ruben Amorim left his role as men’s first team head coach with immediate effect, along with a number of members of his coaching team.”
The maximum £15.9 million payout is contingent on certain factors, most notably whether Amorim finds a new job within a specific timeframe — meaning the actual cost could be reduced if he takes on a role elsewhere this summer.
The total cost of the Amorim episode, when combined with the £11 million United originally paid Sporting CP to secure his services in November 2024, now approaches £37 million — one of the most expensive managerial merry-go-rounds in English football history.
It follows the £14.5 million paid to Erik ten Hag and his staff, as well as the £4.1 million Dan Ashworth received upon leaving the sporting director role after just five months.
Under Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s ownership, INEOS has now spent a staggering sum moving on personnel who proved not to be the right fit, and the club’s supporters are understandably fatigued by a cycle that has delivered little football stability.
Michael Carrick’s results since taking charge — seven wins from ten, third in the table, Champions League qualification in sight — make the decision to pursue Amorim in the first place look even more expensive in hindsight.
The filing was made a day after United confirmed a profit of £32.6 million in their second-quarter results to December 31, 2025 — a juxtaposition that tells a complicated story about the club’s financial direction.
