Ruben Amorim has made a specific arrival request to the Man Utd board in the hope of avoiding a repeat of his first season in charge that saw the Red Devils endure their worst-ever Premier League campaign
17:42, 28 Jun 2025
KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - MAY 27: Head Coach Ruben Amorim of Manchester United in action during a first team training session at Bukit Jalil National Stadium on May 27, 2025 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo by Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim wants to be reunited with his former coach(Image: Ash Donelon, Manchester United via Getty Images)
Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is reportedly keen to bring in his former colleague Acacio Valentim as part of a coaching reshuffle.
The Portuguese boss is eager to avoid another disappointing season following a wretched first year in charge. In his debut season, Amorim led the Red Devils to a 14th place finish in the Premier League and suffered defeat in the Europa League final against Spurs.
As he prepares for his second season at Old Trafford, it seems he's seeking additional support behind the scenes. Portuguese publication Record reports that Amorim has personally asked United's top chiefs to approach Valentim.
The 49-year-old previously worked with Amorim at Braga, and it appears the United boss is keen for a reunion in Manchester. Negotiations are said to be ongoing for Valentim, who is currently a free agent after leaving his position at the Portuguese club over the summer.
Several members of Erik ten Hag's former team, including Ruud van Nistelrooy, have departed since Amorim's arrival - with the Dutchman recently being sacked by Leicester. Rene Hake, Jelle ten Rouwelaar and Pieter Morel also left the club following the managerial change.
NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE, ENGLAND - APRIL 13: Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United reacts sat on the bench during the Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Manchester United FC at St James' Park on April 13, 2025 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. (Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)
Ruben Amorim wants to make a change to his backroom staff(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA, Getty Images)
Article continues below
Set piece coach Andreas Georgson was initially kept on but seemed to shift roles in December when Amorim revealed that his assistant Carlos Fernandes had taken over set piece planning duties.
Speaking after a heated match against Arsenal, Amorim explained the changes: "The thinking is Carlos is responsible for set pieces, different stuff. Andreas is also there to help. That's it. That's the reason.
"I think if you follow Premier League for a long time you can see that they (Arsenal) are also big players for that.
"And you can see it in every occasion that (Bukayo) Saka and (Gabriel) Martinelli has one against one, a lot of times they go outside and cross. They already know if the cross is going well, they can score. If it's a corner, they can score.
"So we have to be better on that situation but like in every area of our game we need time to improve also. But you can see in all Arsenal games every team has a problem with that."
Article continues below
It was reported that Georgson left his position in May, amongst a string of departures from the Manchester United staff in recent weeks.