Ruben Amorim Compensation Costs: How Hiring and Firing Him Cost Man United Over £26m

Recruiting, employing and then sacking Ruben Amorim cost Manchester United more than £26 million.

Amorim was dismissed on Monday, less than 24 hours after overseeing a 1-1 draw away at Leeds. That was his 63rd and final game as United head coach (not manager).

Those 63 games included just 24 victories, meaning Amorim was sacked with the worst win-rate of any Man United boss since 1972.

How much did sacking Ruben Amorim cost Man United?

Amorim was understood to be on a contract worth £6.5m per year at Old Trafford. That works out close to £17,800 per day and he had 541 days remaining on that deal when he was sacked, meaning he is expected to receive around £9.63m in compensation.

United have now paid out more than £60m in compensation after sacking managers during the Premier League era, having previously spent £10.4m to get rid of Erik ten Hag in 2024 and a whopping £19.6m to remove Jose Mourinho in 2018.

Hiring Amorim in November 2024 also incurred significant compensation costs as United had to pay Sporting Lisbon £9.2m to release him and his coaching staff from their contracts in Portugal.

On top of the £9.2m to hire Amorim and the £9.63m to fire him, United paid him roughly £7.5m in wages during his 420-day reign at Old Trafford.

Therefore, United spent an estimated £26.33m on arguably their worst manager or head coach of the Premier League era.

Cost breakdown of how Ruben Amorim cost Man United £26.33m

Cost element	Estimated cost
Compensation paid to Sporting to release Amorim and his coaching staff (Nov 2024)	£9.2m
Wages paid to Amorim over 420 days as Man United head coach	£7.5m
Estimated severance compensation after sacking Amorim	£9.63m
Total cost to Man United of hiring, employing and firing Amorim	£26.33m

Despite arriving with a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising young coaches, Amorim never managed to impose a clear identity at Old Trafford.

Meanwhile, his results were dismal. United placed 12th in the 2025 Premier League calendar year table, after finishing 15th in the real table for the 2024/25 season.

Off the pitch, Amorim’s public frustration with the club’s structure further undermined his position. His insistence that he had been hired to be a “manager, not a coach” formed part of an explosive rant in what proved to be his final press conference as United boss.

The decision to dismiss Amorim, while costly, therefore became a necessity.

Darren Fletcher will take charge of Man United against Burnley on Wednesday, with the club expected to explore permanent options in the coming weeks as they look — once again — to reset their direction.

Man United are said to be lining up a move for Oliver Glasner. His contract with Crystal Palace is due to expire at the end of the season, which could be crucial if United wish to avoid paying out even more in compensation.