Ruben Amorim is under pressure (Picture: Getty)

Manchester United have no immediate plans to sack Ruben Amorim but will not seek to appoint Gareth Southgate should they change their mind, according to reports.

Amorim is under increasing p…

Southgate is an option for United if Amorim goes.

Former Arsenal and Chelsea midfielder Cesc Fabregas has been linked with the Manchester United job as Ruben Amorim fights to avoid the sack.

United were expected to improve this season after a productive summer transfer window in which the likes of Matheus Cunha, Bryan Mbeumo and Benjamin Sesko arrived at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils endured a disastrous 2024-25 campaign, finishing 15th in the Premier League and failing to qualify for European football after losing to Tottenham in a drab Europa League final.

United’s squad spoke positively over the summer and were glad to see some of Amorim’s ‘bomb squad’ depart, including Antony and Alejandro Garnacho.

But that positive mood has disappeared in the space of just two months, with United winning only two of their first seven games of the season.

Poor Premier League form has left them 14th in the table while Amorim suffered a quite humiliating defeat in the Carabao Cup to League Two opponents Grimsby Town.

The Manchester United hierarchy appear ready to stick with Amorim for the time being but club legends Paul Scholes and Nicky Butt believe that could change if they fail to beat newly-promoted Sunderland on Saturday.

A number of managers have already begun to be linked with the Old Trafford job, with Crystal Palace’s Oliver Glasner and Bournemouth’s Andoni Iraola believed to be admired by the Manchester giants.

Ex-England manager Gareth Southgate has also emerged as a possible candidate to replace Amorim, who won back-to-back league titles at former club Sporting.

Southgate was in charge of England for eight years and led the Three Lions to two major finals in that time, although fans remain disappointed that he was unable to end the nation’s wait for silverware.

While the 55-year-old has been out of football management since resigning in July 2024, Southgate would reject the chance to return to the fold with Manchester United.

The Daily Mirror say Southgate is keeping his options open – both within and outside of the world of football – but is in no rush to return to management.

Since stepping down as England boss, Southgate has taken part in speaking engagements and motivation events. He has also been seen at many football matches.

Southgate was heavily linked with the United job while Erik ten Hag was still in charge but made it clear he wanted to leave England into Euro 2024.

Ben Foster, the former Manchester United goalkeeper, has talked up Southgate’s suitability for the Old Trafford gig.

‘I just think with Gareth Southgate, it’s so different to what they’ve ever done, and what they’re doing isn’t working,’ he said on his YouTube channel.

‘You look at the past four or five managers now since Fergie went and they’re not working. It’s as simple as that.

‘I just think that with how hard it is to play for Man United and the pressure involved in pulling that shirt on, sometimes you might need a bit of a different approach.’

United have denied they have started planning for life after Amorim and are still, publicly at least, backing the 40-year-old Portuguese to turn things around.

But FourFourTwo claim another manager could be on their shortlist to replace Amorim in the form of Premier League legend Fabregas.

Fabregas, who played over 300 games for Arsenal and then won two Premier League titles at Chelsea, has impressed during his spell in charge of Italian side Como.

The ex-Spain and Barcelona star would be a controversial choice given his battles with Manchester United over the years.

Amorim, speaking after United’s latest defeat to Brentford, insisted he was ‘not concerned’ about his job.

‘I am never concerned about my job – I am not that kind of guy,’ he said. ‘It is not my decision. I will do the best I can every minute I am here.’

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Joe Cole discussing Man Utd boss Ruben Amorim (Picture: TNT Sports)

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Sir Gareth Southgate says he does not miss being England manager and claims he felt the ‘weight’ of the job on a daily basis.

Southgate spent nearly eight years in charge of England and stepped aside last summer after his team were beaten by Spain in the Euro 2024 final.

The 54-year-old also came close to guiding England to victory at Euro 2020 as his side lost on penalties by Italy at Wembley, while at the 2018 World Cup, the Three Lions suffered a defeat to Croatia in the semi-final.

Southgate endured heavy criticism during England’s Euro 2024 campaign and was pelted with empty beer cups by supporters following a goalless draw against Slovenia in the group stage.

However, he has been credited with restoring positivity and pride towards England’s national side during his tenure.

‘It is a little bit strange [watching the team] but also I’m not missing it,’ Southgate, who received his knighthood for services to English football on Wednesday, said in an interview with BBC Sport.

‘I think it’s important that I am on that sofa and out of their way, you know. It’s theirs to take on now and I think it’s important that I give the team as much space as possible.

‘I think it’s hard to describe because until that weight’s gone you don’t necessarily realise just on a day-to-day basis, you know, every hour of my day was thinking about how do I make England better, what’s happening with the players, how do we do things differently.

‘So I think… any leader of big organisations, you’re constantly thinking about how to do your job as well as you can.’

Southgate was also reluctant to respond to the assessment from current England manager Thomas Tuchel, who claimed England lacked a clear playing style at Euro 2024 last year.

‘I don’t think it’s important how I took it or what I think,’ Southgate said.

‘I think what’s really important is for me to give the team, the manager, the space to operate. I think that’s the right thing to do.

‘I’ve had an amazing experience leading my country, but it’s time for them to take it forward now and I’ll be a fan at home supporting it.’

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Richard Keys remains unconvinced with Ruben Amorim (Picture: X)

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