MANCHESTER, UK: Manchester United are reportedly in talks with Portuguese coach Ruben Amorim to become their next manager after sacking Erik ten Hag following a disastrous start to the season.

Time finally ran out for Dutchman Ten Hag with United 14th in the Premier League after a fourth defeat in nine league games at West Ham on Sunday.

Despite spending big in the transfer market this season, one of the world鈥檚 wealthiest clubs have won only one of their last eight games in all competitions.

Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy, a member of Ten Hag鈥檚 coaching staff, was named interim boss.

According to multiple British media reports, United want to turn to Amorim, the 39-year-old Sporting Lisbon manager who is considered one of Europe鈥檚 leading young coaches.

Sky Sports reported United had held discussions with Amorim and are prepared to pay his release clause.

Amorim was linked with the manager鈥檚 role at Liverpool following the departure of Jurgen Klopp this year, but Dutch coach Arne Slot headed to Anfield instead.

The position of Ten Hag, 54, had been repeatedly called into question after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe retained him following an internal review at the end of last season when the club finished eighth in the league but won the FA Cup with a shock victory over Manchester City.

Ten Hag was even rewarded with a one-year contract extension to June 2026.

But United have shown little improvement this season and the 2-1 loss at West Ham was the final straw.

A club statement on Monday said: 鈥淓rik ten Hag has left his role as Manchester United men鈥檚 first-team manager.鈥�

EXPENSIVE SIGNINGS

Former Ajax coach Ten Hag, who joined United in May 2022, had fiercely defended his record in recent weeks after winning two trophies in his two full seasons in charge.

United ended a six-year wait for silverware by beating Newcastle in the 2023 League Cup final.

The Red Devils also reached the FA Cup final and finished third in the Premier League in an encouraging debut season for Ten Hag.

However, the wheels came off in his second season.

Injuries to key players, the lack of a meaningful impact from expensive signings like Brazilian forward Antony and Ten Hag鈥檚 failure to implement a clear playing style led to a number of embarrassing results.

United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage while Bournemouth, Brighton and Fulham were among the teams to win at Old Trafford in the 2023/2024 campaign.

The implementation of a new sporting structure at United, spearheaded by Ratcliffe, saw widespread change over recent months off the field.

But Ten Hag鈥檚 surprise victory over Pep Guardiola鈥檚 City in the FA Cup final led to him receiving a stay of execution.

He was further backed in the transfer market with the signings of Joshua Zirkzee, Manuel Ugarte, Matthijs de Ligt and Noussair Mazraoui, taking the total spent in his reign to over 拢600 million ($778 million), nearly half of which went on former Ajax players.

Yet early hope this season evaporated as Liverpool and Tottenham coasted to 3-0 wins at Old Trafford in September.

鈥楿狈础颁颁贰笔罢础叠尝贰鈥�

Former United captain Gary Neville said Ten Hag had paid the price for an 鈥渦nacceptable鈥� league position.

鈥淭he big shock for me is how bad they鈥檝e been with the new signings that have come in,鈥� Neville told Sky.

He added: 鈥淵ou can鈥檛 be in 14th after nine or 10 games with the level of spend that鈥檚 occurred without being under significant pressure 鈥� and that鈥檚 what鈥檚 happened.鈥�

Former United defender Rio Ferdinand compared Ten Hag to 鈥渁 boxer getting hit and knocked down in the third round and never recovering and getting knocked out鈥�.

Ex-England striker Alan Shearer said Ten Hag had been 鈥渁 dead man walking鈥� as soon as it was revealed United had talked to other potential managers in the summer.

For all the Dutchman鈥檚 faults, he oversaw just a small period of United鈥檚 more general decline since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013.

Since the Scot鈥檚 departure, five permanent managers have now been dismissed without United even challenging for the Premier League title 鈥� a trophy they won 13 times under Ferguson.