Southgate to Man Utd a Non-Starter for Now, Romano Confirms; Amorim Nearly Walked Before Getting Sacked

Gareth Southgate's name continues to swirl around Manchester United's managerial vacancy, but Fabrizio Romano has poured cold water on any notion of an immediate move materialising.

The former England manager, who departed his post following Spain's victory at Euro 2024, has enjoyed a lengthy sabbatical from the game and maintains solid connections within the Old Trafford hierarchy and INEOS leadership. Yet according to Romano's latest assessment, United would have already moved for the 55-year-old had they genuinely fancied him now.

"If United really wanted Southgate now, they could have taken him," Romano stated on his YouTube channel. "They did not proceed because, at this stage, they have different priorities in their process for appointing a new manager in the summer."

The journalist elaborated that while Southgate boasts "an excellent relationship with some people at Manchester United and with figures at INEOS," there remains "nothing concrete" between the two parties at present. United have decided to assess interim chief Michael Carrick's performance through the remainder of the campaign before launching a formal recruitment drive, with the summer window likely to present more compelling candidates including Oliver Glasner and Thomas Tuchel.

Carrick's own appointment came after being preferred over Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with the ex-Middlesbrough boss positioned as a temporary solution rather than a long-term fix.

In a separate development, fresh reporting has surfaced regarding Ruben Amorim's departure, with claims that the Portuguese coach contemplated throwing in the towel mere days before his eventual dismissal. The Sun reports Amorim had grown so disillusioned following a heated confrontation with director of football Jason Wilcox on the Friday preceding United's Leeds fixture that he confided in associates about his intention to resign.

His agent, Raul Costa, intervened decisively, however. Costa reportedly convinced Amorim to reconsider, pointing out that a voluntary resignation would leave him without compensation, whereas a club-initiated sacking would trigger payment of his remaining contract from his Sporting Lisbon deal. Costa's reasoning was straightforward: if Amorim's time was destined to end—as appeared likely—the financial settlement should come from the club's pocket rather than his own.