Ruben Amorim’s rocky spell at Manchester United has taken a fresh twist ahead of Saturday's game with Burnley, with former club Benfica interested in bringing the struggling 40-year-old back to Portugal.
Amorim is under heavy pressure following United’s embarrassing Carabao Cup exit to League Two side Grimsby Town on Wednesday night.
The defeat came after a summer of spending more than £200million on new signings and has only deepened concerns about his leadership at Old Trafford.
Amorim admitted earlier this year that he would walk away without demanding compensation if he was not “the right man for Manchester United.”
Ruben Amorim’s rocky spell at Manchester United has taken a fresh twist ahead of Saturday's game with Burnley, with former club Benfica interested in bringing the struggling 40-year-old back to Portugal
|REUTERS
His words after the defeat to Grimsby raised fresh doubts, describing the performance as “the limit” and hinting that he would use the upcoming international break to speak to his employers about his future.
According to The Times, Benfica may now try to lure him back to Lisbon.
The club is preparing for presidential elections and candidate Joao Noronha Lopes is exploring the possibility of bringing Amorim back to the Estádio da Luz.
Although Amorim made his managerial reputation across the city with Sporting, where he twice denied Benfica the title, he spent almost a decade as a player at Benfica and lifted three league championships there.
JUST IN: Emma Raducanu claims top players 'have a point to prove' against her after US Open battering
He is still remembered fondly at the club as a result.
Lopes has already recruited Amorim’s close friend and former Benfica striker Nuno Gomes to his campaign team, a move seen by many as laying the groundwork for an attempt to tempt him back.
When pressed on the subject during a debate with Portuguese outlet Record, Lopes avoided specifics but praised Amorim as “an excellent coach” while stressing he would not destabilise the current team before an important match.
For Amorim, the chance of returning home could be tempting.
**SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE DAILY GB NEWS SPORTS NEWSLETTER HERE**
Ruben Amorim established himself as a Benfica legend long before his appointment at Manchester United
|GETTY
His start in England has been turbulent, with the Red Devils regressing further since his appointment back in November.
Erik ten Hag, his predecessor, was dismissed that month despite winning two trophies during his spell in charge.
Ahead of Saturday’s Premier League match with Burnley, Amorim admitted to struggling with the emotional weight of the job.
“Sometimes I hate my players, sometimes I love my players,” he said.
Ruben Amorim admitted that he sometimes 'hates his players' following Manchester United's defeat to Grimsby
| REUTERS“That is my way of doing things.
"After a defeat like [Grimsby], I was so frustrated and annoyed.
"People say I should be calmer with the media, but I am not going to be like that. That kind of performance was unacceptable.”
United’s supporters may sympathise with his frustrations.
LATEST SPORTS NEWS:
Ruben Amorim is fighting to keep his job in the wake of Man United's awful Carabao Cup exit to Grimsby
|PA
The club has not come close to winning the league title since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and has worked its way through a succession of managers without finding stability. Amorim was seen as a bold new choice, having previously been on Liverpool's radar to replace Jurgen Klopp, but his tenure has yet to convince.
The international break could prove decisive.
Though he retains the support of the United hierarchy, his comments have fuelled speculation that he could walk.
Crystal Palace's Oliver Glasner has been linked with the role. So too has former England boss Gareth Southgate, who has several admirers on the United board.