Sporting Lisbon stars were reportedly left ‘upset’ by news of Ruben Amorim’s decision to join Manchester United. The Portuguese tactician is widely expected to move to Old Trafford.

His club announced on Tuesday that United had signalled their intention to pay his £8.3million release clause. INEOS officials have reportedly flown out to Portugal to conclude a deal with Sporting after sacking Erik ten Hag.

A swift appointment is set to leave Sporting’s squad taken by surprise. According to Portuguese publication A Bola, several players were ‘upset’ when they learned that the former Braga head coach had agreed to join United.

That is partially because Amorim had convinced many of them to remain at the club during the summer transfer window. He persuaded them that Sporting’s project was worth sticking with.

The likes of Viktor Gyokeres, Marcus Edwards and Morten Hjulmand were all linked with top European clubs ahead of the 2024-25 season. However, they remained at Sporting.

Amorim, who took charge of Sporting’s 3-1 cup triumph over Nacional on Tuesday, has accepted that his players will be ‘disappointed’ and ‘sad’ if he decides to leave. He said: “Those are my things. Whether I want to go or not, that’s the decision we’re talking about here. The players? Without a doubt, if I leave, they’ll be disappointed with me. And sad with me.

“But that’s part of life. That happened in Braga. When I came from Braga, from the stability of Braga to here, that happened a bit. And they were a bit disappointed.

“Because they really believed that we were building something special. But then things happen that change people’s lives. It’s a difficult situation. I can’t give them more than that.

“I’m not going to tell them whether I want to go or not. It’s one of the few things that’s still missing. I understand that the players are disappointed. Sad. But I have to live with that.”

United officials are hoping to close a quick appointment and want Amorim in charge before Sunday’s Premier League clash with Chelsea. Ruud van Nistelrooy will lead the Red Devils in their EFL Cup tie against Leicester tonight.

However, the A Bola report adds that Sporting are holding up negotiations with United. They reportedly want an extra £4.1m on top of Amorim’s £8.3m release clause in order to let his assistants join him at Old Trafford.

The 39-year-old coach also has a 30-day notice period. Sporting reportedly want to negotiate a higher fee to waive that.