Ruben Amorim said on Tuesday that "nothing is decided yet" after Manchester United made the Sporting Lisbon coach their top target to replace sacked manager Erik ten Hag.
United pulled the plug on Ten Hag's two-year reign on Monday after a 2-1 defeat by West Ham left one of the world's wealthiest clubs 14th in the Premier League.
Amorim quickly emerged as the leading contender to replace the Dutchman and a statement issued by Sporting to the Lisbon stock exchange said United were willing to meet his €10 million (£8.3 million, $10.8 million) release clause.
The 39-year-old was guarded when asked after Sporting's League Cup win against Nacional on Tuesday night if that was his last match with the Portuguese club.
"Nobody knows whether this was my farewell match. Nothing is decided yet," the Portuguese coach said, reported by sports daily A Bola.
Despite spending heavily in the transfer market in the summer, United have won one of their last eight games in all competitions.
Former United striker Ruud van Nistelrooy has been named interim boss but United appear to be concentrating on Amorim, who is considered one of Europe's leading young coaches.
He has won two Portuguese titles with Sporting since joining the club in March 2020.
Amorim had dismissed the speculation when quizzed on Monday ahead of the League Cup match.
"I'm not going to talk about my future," he said. "I'm very proud to be the coach of Sporting Lisbon."
'INCREDIBLE FOOTBALL'
Brighton's Fabian Hurzeler, a young manager already making his way in the Premier League, was asked on Tuesday what advice he'd give Amorim should he leave Portugal for Old Trafford.
"Thirty-nine and he's eight years older than me," said Hurzeler. "He's already achieved great things in Portugal. I've seen some games of him, he plays incredible football."
Amorim was linked with the manager's role at Liverpool following the departure of Jurgen Klopp this year, but Dutch coach Arne Slot headed to Anfield instead.
The position of Ten Hag, 54, had been repeatedly called into question after United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe, who made overtures to other managers, retained him following an internal review at the end of last season when the club finished eighth in the league but won the FA Cup with a shock victory over Manchester City.
But United, who last won the Premier League in 2013, have shown little improvement this season.
The former Ajax coach, who joined United in May 2022, had fiercely defended his record, arguing he deserved respect for winning two trophies in his two full seasons.
United ended a six-year wait for silverware by beating Newcastle in the 2023 League Cup final.
POOR SECOND SEASON
However, in his second season, injuries to key players, the lack of impact from expensive signings such as Brazilian Antony and Ten Hag's failure to implement a clear playing style put him on the road to failure.
United crashed out of the Champions League at the group stage and suffered a string of defeats at Old Trafford last season.
Ten Hag was backed in the transfer market, spending more than £600 million ($778 million) – nearly half of which went on former Ajax players.
Yet early hope this season evaporated as Liverpool and Tottenham both won with ease at Old Trafford in September.
In truth, Ten Hag oversaw just a small period of United's more general decline since legendary former manager Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 after the club were crowned champions of England for a record 20th time.
Five fulltime managers have come and gone since then.
Speaking post-match on Sunday to preview United's League Cup tie against Leicester on Wednesday, Ten Hag indicated he thought winning a trophy in his third season would make it a success.
"Definitely, it's about trophies," he replied in comments which were embargoed until Tuesday.
"If you win a trophy in pro football, that is most important because that is what the fans expect and what we expect, to win a trophy."