Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim would allegedly be in line for a hefty £12m payoff if he is given the boot by Old Trafford chiefs this summer.
The Portuguese led the Red Devils to a 3-2 success over Ipswich Town in Wednesday's Premier League affair, but his side were pushed all the way by Kieran McKenna's men, and the result arguably just papered over the cracks.
Man United remain in crisis on and off the field, languishing in 14th place in the Premier League standings following the revelation that they have recorded a staggering £373m in losses over the last five years.
To combat such economic troubles, minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe has been leading a cost-cutting charge, and a new wave of staff redundancies was recently confirmed as INEOS strive to make the club profitable again.
Paying out a mammoth £14.5m to Erik ten Hag, his staff and ex-director Dan Ashworth have also contributed to the Red Devils' volatile situation, and the amount it would take to sever Amorim from his deal has apparently been revealed.
Amorim protected by 'watertight clause' in Man Utd deal
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According to The Sun, Man United would have to fork out a staggering £12m if they decided to sack Amorim, whose contract at the Theatre of Dreams does not expire until the summer of 2027.
The report claims that Amorim's terms include a 'watertight clause' which would protect him financially in the event that he is fired, but there is currently 'no suggestion' that he could be sacked.
The 40-year-old is said to be earning £6m a year as part of his contract and will have the remaining monies paid in full if given the boot, as will every member of his backroom team who followed him to the club from Sporting Lisbon.
Combined, Man United would supposedly have to pay around £20m if they chose to fire Amorim and all of his staff members, but Ratcliffe is not expected to take such drastic action just yet despite a string of poor performances.
The ex-Sporting boss has won just 11 of his first 23 games in charge of Man United, losing nine and drawing three, and their win over Ipswich was just their fifth from 16 Premier League matches under his wing.
However, the Red Devils are in the fifth round of the FA Cup, where they will meet Fulham on Sunday, before taking on Real Sociedad in the last 16 of the Europa League.
Would sacking Amorim be a masterstroke or a mistake?
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As well as Man United's well-documented struggles with their current crop of players, the fact that others who could not win over Amorim are now thriving out on loan are hardly helping his cause.
Antony (Real Betis) and Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa) have both been given new leases of life at their new stomping grounds, and those still at Old Trafford have apparently begun to question Amorim's tactics.
However, with the exception of Patrick Dorgu, most of Man United's recent signings arrived to play the Ten Hag way, and Amorim should expect an improvement in results when given resources to bring in players who can operate in his 3-4-3 system.
A lack of viable managerial alternatives should also work in the Portuguese's favour; the standout candidate is of course Zinedine Zidane, but the red carpet has been rolled out for him to replace Didier Deschamps as France boss next year.
Ben Knapton
