One of the most exasperating aspects of the deteriorating relationship between Ruben Amorim and Manchester United’s management was the resistance he faced regarding transfers.

Amorim had his eyes set on bringing Emiliano Martinez from Aston Villa as the team’s top goalkeeper. However, the board chose to move forward with acquiring Senne Lammens instead. Similarly, Amorim preferred Ollie Watkins, but the club opted for Benjamin Sesko.

Christopher Vivell, the head of recruitment, advocated for Sesko, and in the end, the decision favored youth and potential.

However, Confidential reveals that Amorim’s dissatisfaction was also fueled by the club’s refusal to pursue several players from his former team, Sporting Lisbon, including Geovany Quenda, Ousmane Diomande, Salvador Blopa, and Morten Hjulmand.

Insiders close to Amorim have shared that he felt a lack of support from crucial figures within the club, particularly concerning the strategic approach to the transfer market.

Ruben Amorim recommended his old pupil Geovany Quenda to Manchester United, but he ended up signing for Chelsea instead

Centre back Ousmane Diomande’s physical profile was one of the main reasons Amorim wanted to bring him to Old Trafford

Sporting captain Morten Hjulmand was a player Amorim saw as filling a much-needed hole in the midfield and someone he did not need to explain his tactical ideas to

The negotiations for Quenda dragged on for weeks before the young Portuguese talent ultimately signed with Chelsea, set to join them this summer. United insiders noted that the club’s interest waned due to Quenda’s resemblance to Amad in terms of playing style.

Diomande’s physical profile was of huge appeal to Amorim, while Blopa was another he lobbied for to no avail.

Hjulmand was a player Amorim saw as filling a much-needed hole in the midfield and someone he did not need to explain his tactical ideas to. Again, the United hierarchy had other targets in mind to overhaul the midfield this coming summer.

Amorim’s tenure will not be remembered fondly due to the nature of results, but figures close to the ousted head coach are pointing to the market and wondering why there was so much pushback – when so many reinforcements were needed to make his 3-4-2-1 system work.

Amorim’s swift exit

There is a harsh reality to life as a football manager – or head coach in the case of Amorim – and it was apparent again when the 40-year-old was summoned to Carrington and sacked on Monday morning.

Amorim arrived at the training ground around 9.30am and left about half an hour later after he was dismissed in a meeting with chief executive Omar Berrada and director of football Jason Wilcox.

The coach’s confrontational approach in a meeting with Wilcox at Carrington last Friday proved to be the final straw for the club as he continued to resist calls to ditch his back-three system and play more expansively.

Amorim didn’t have many personal possessions at Carrington so he was able to clear his desk quickly and leave for the last time with his six-man backroom team without any long goodbyes to staff or the players.

Amorim didn’t have many personal possessions at Carrington so he was able to clear his desk quickly and leave for the last time, before Darren Fletcher (left) takes over as caretaker

He will pocket a £10million pay-off, taking the total cost of hiring and firing the Portuguese to nearly £27m. His coaching staff will also be due compensation.

Amorim drove out of the complex in his black Porsche shortly afterwards and was pictured later outside his Cheshire home with wife Maria, smiling for the cameras as they went for a walk in the snow.

Axed coaches rarely hang about for the whirlwind that follows a managerial sacking. Former United chief Ed Woodward instructed his comms team to push the button on Jose Mourinho’s departure as soon as the meeting ended to avoid the Portuguese coach spinning his own narrative.

The one exception was Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, who stayed at Carrington long into the afternoon, conducting a tearful exit interview with MUTV and saying an emotional goodbye to staff.

Opportunity knocks for JJ

Keep an eye on the situation around JJ Gabriel this week, with it understood that he will be in and around first-team training again.

The 15-year-old, who interim boss Darren Fletcher knows very well having coached him in the Under 18s this season, is eligible to become United’s youngest ever player if he features against Brighton in the FA Cup on Sunday.

Fletcher, aided by Travis Binnion and Alan Wright, took charge of a very young group on Monday, with Gabriel one of more than 10 academy players involved. He didn’t train with the seniors on Tuesday, but sources close to the group believe there is a chance Gabriel could be involved again before Brighton. 

Premier League rules dictate that players who do not start the season aged 15 or above are ineligible to play in the competition – but the same does not apply to the FA Cup.

Insiders at United are not ruling out an appearance against Brighton on Sunday for JJ Gabriel, who has been a revelation under Fletcher this season with the Under 18s

United’s Under 21s boss Travis Binnion will support Fletcher in his caretaker role

Insiders at United are not ruling out the prospect of Gabriel making the matchday squad, and the forward has been a revelation under Fletcher this season with the Under 18s.

He has made just one competitive appearance at Old Trafford, scoring the only goal in the FA Youth Cup versus Peterborough United in front of the Stretford End last month.

There has been no decision yet on who will lead Under’s Under 18s in round four of the FA Youth Cup, on Friday, January 23 against Derby County.

Speaking to insiders, there is genuine curiosity as to who will lead the Under 18s in two weeks’ time with so much still up in the air about what Fletcher’s role will be by then.

He is among those being considered for the caretaker manager job with the first team, although Solskjaer is a leading contender there, and nothing has been ruled out as to whether he would form part of a coaching staff should Solskjaer or Michael Carrick get the gig.

Benfica next for Amorim?

Amorim laughed off links with a return to Benfica in September, but could the club where he spent nine years as a player be the next stop in his coaching career?

The speculation began when Benfica presidential hopeful Joao Noronha Lopes turned up with a delegation at Old Trafford having made it clear that he would move for Amorim if he won his election battle with Rui Costa.

In the end, Costa stayed in power after sacking Bruno Lage and appointing Mourinho as his successor.

But with Mourinho looking increasingly vulnerable after Benfica slipped to third place in the Portuguese League table – 10 points behind leaders Porto, despite being unbeaten – and 25th in the Champions League standings, Confidential understands that Amorim could be in pole position to take over in the summer.

Jose Mourinho’s Benfica are unbeaten in the Portuguese league this season – but thanks to six draws they are 10 points behind leaders Porto, who are also yet to taste defeat

Fergie travels in style

Having turned 84 on New Year’s Eve, Sir Alex Ferguson isn’t quite as agile as he once was, so it was hardly a surprise to see the legendary United manager climbing into a 4×4 outside Old Trafford after the Wolves game last week rather than his usual chauffeur-driven saloon car.

Ferguson is always a big hit with the fans who stay behind after games to get autographs and photos by the players’ entrance.

He was met with a warm reception as he emerged from the ground and got into the new car, which settled in for the 40-minute drive back to his home in Goostrey.

As United begin the search for their seventh permanent manager since Ferguson retired in 2013 – not to mention a sixth caretaker or interim boss – you could forgive fans for missing the good times.