Ruben Amorim has spoken out on his strong links to the vacant Manchester United job with the Portuguese tactician expected to replace Erik ten Hag in the coming days.
Amorim coached Sporting to a 3-1 win over Nacional in the Taca de Liga quarter-finals on Tuesday night. It is likely to be his final match in charge of the Primeira Liga giants with whom he has won two league titles as a manager.
But the 39-year-old, who was also in talks with Liverpool last summer, refused to confirm whether or not he will make the switch to Old Trafford post-match.
"Nothing is decided yet… I don't know if it's the farewell game or not," he said to Portuguese TV after Viktor Gyokeres scored twice from the bench in the cup victory.
He added in his post-match press conference: "I have nothing more to say, we are analysing the game and anything I say will only create more noise. There is nothing concrete...
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"I don't want to fuel this issue. There is the club's statement to the CMVM, apart from that we don't know the details yet, we'll see... I have always taken responsibility for my decisions and I will be here to do so, but when I am sure of things it will be easier.
"Manchester United is interested. But it's my choice. Until everything is decided, we won't be making any noise. I have nothing useful to say. I will take on whatever I want to do, as I have always done.
"What I know is that I will be at training tomorrow and I will prepare for the game against Estrela da Amadora."
Amorim has overseen 228 matches at Sporting, winning 162 of them. United are hopeful that they can bring him to the Premier League in time for Sunday's Old Trafford showdown with Chelsea.
But in the meantime, former striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been installed as interim boss and will be in the dugout for Wednesday night's Carabao Cup tie at home to Leicester.
Sporting confirmed in a statement on Tuesday afternoon that United have been in contact with them over their head coach.
It read: "1. Manchester United FC expressed interest in hiring coach Ruben Amorim, with the Board of Directors of Sporting SAD referring to the terms and conditions set out in the employment contract in force between the Company and the coach, specifically for the respective termination clause and for the amount of Euro 10,000,000.00;
"2. Manchester United FC expressed interest in paying Sporting SAD the value of the aforementioned clause."
That means any deal to appoint Amorim will cost United least £8.3million. INEOS are also likely to pay to bring in some of the former Portugal international midfielder's assistant coaches from the Lisbon outfit.
Asked about his release clause, Amorim added: "I'm not going to talk about my contract, it's a matter between me and Sporting.
"All the clauses that exist in a contract are included by the employer and the employee. What I can say is that the statement contains all the necessary information.
"Before the statement was released, I explained to the players everything that was happening. There is nothing more to say."
Sporting striker Gyokeres, who had been linked with a move to Old Trafford even before the speculation surrounding Amorim, said of his manager's future: "He's here now. It's not something I know, it's not about me.
"We are focused, it is not something I know and for the moment he is here... we will see what happens."
While Pep Guardiola has also offered his support to Amorim, with whom he will lock horns in the Champions League next week if United have not got a deal done before then.
The Manchester City boss said: "All I can talk about is I played twice against Ruben and his Sporting team and the pressure was really, really good.
"I spoke with Matheus Nunes who was his player and he spoke highly about him. This season he's unbeaten or winning all the games in the Portuguese league, the Champions League they have the same points with us.
"I have the feeling, Man Utd, what I hear is thinking about him, because he's a good manager.
"Man Utd want managers at that level. All the managers they've had in the last five, six, seven years, we cannot say they are not able to be at Man Utd. What's going to happen, I don't know.
"What happens here with my experience, doesn't mean it happens with the other ones because the manager is the team, the club, the structure, the physios, the doctors, the players, it's many things.
"What happened here, doesn't mean it's going to happen at other places."
