Ruben Amorim was ready to RESIGN just days before Man Utd axe... costing Premier League giants over £12m in compensation

In the wake of Amorim’s departure from the so-called ‘Theatre of Dreams’, it was revealed that he became caught up in a heated exchange with director of football Jason Wilcox prior to a clash with Leeds United at Elland Road.

According to The Sun, Amorim “told friends he was resigning” following that blazing row. It is claimed that the former Sporting boss “changed his mind after talking to his agent, Raul Costa”. He was told that United needed to either “back him or sack him”.

Amorim spoke out against his apparent lack of support at boardroom level following a 1-1 draw with Leeds. He said: “I came here to be the manager of Manchester United, not to be the coach of Manchester United. That is clear. I know that my name is not [Thomas] Tuchel, it's not [Antonio] Conte, it's not [Jose] Mourinho, but I'm the manager of Manchester United and it's going to be like this for 18 months or when the board decides to change. That was my point. I want to finish with that. I'm not going to quit. I will do my job until another guy is coming here to replace me.”

Amorim stated that he would see out his contract before walking away, but he was axed less than 24 hours later. United believed that they had been backed into a corner, with Wilcox and chief executive Omar Barrada being left with no choice but to take decisive action.

They held another meeting with Amorim before informing the Portuguese of the decision to move in different directions. That call meant that United would have to compensate Amorim for his contract being torn up.

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It is understood that he is due £12m from the Red Devils, with United’s overall bill when it comes to writing off failed managerial experiments in the wake of Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013 now standing at £100m ($134m).

They would have avoided a payout to Amorim had he quit his post. United are having to pay the price of seeing their former boss talked out of that decision, with another hefty bill being footed.

Amorim’s assistant coach, Carlos Fernandes, was the first to speak out following their shock dismissal on January 5. He posted on social media: “Thank you, Manchester United. Thank you to the world-class players I had the privilege to coach and to learn from. Thank you to the staff members who showed true support. Thank you to the fans who stood by us.

“In the end, working at a football club of this dimension doesn't just test your knowledge - it reveals character. A special chapter in my life. Proud to have served as assistant manager of Manchester United.”

The Red Devils initially turned to Darren Fletcher as caretaker coach, with the former midfielder being promoted from his role with the club’s U18 team. He oversaw a disappointing draw with relegation-threatened Burnley and a FA Cup third-round defeat to Brighton.

Reins have now been passed to another ex-United star in the form of Michael Carrick. He has been handed a deal through to the end of the season, with a permanent successor to Amorim set to be sought over the summer.

Carrick - who pipped Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to an interim post - will be handed a baptism of fire as United boss. His tenure will be opened in a derby date with arch-rivals Manchester City at Old Trafford on Saturday, before then heading to Emirates Stadium for a meeting with Premier League leaders Arsenal.