Manager has been out of work since leaving Manchester United in January
Ruben Amorim has emerged as the leading candidate to become AC Milan’s next head coach.
The former Manchester United head coach held talks with Milan in Portugal last week and is now considered the frontrunner for a role that has attracted several high-profile candidates.
Milan are rebuilding both their coaching and executive structure after dismissing Massimiliano Allegri at the end of a disappointing campaign that saw them fail to qualify for the Champions League for the second consecutive time.
Sporting director Igli Tare, chief executive Giorgio Furlani and technical director Geoffrey Moncada have also departed as part of those changes, and Ralf Rangnick has been interviewed for a senior football role that would sit above the incoming manager.
Milan had initially targeted former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola, but Liverpool’s decision to part company with Arne Slot and appoint the Spaniard ended that pursuit.
Other candidates considered by the Italian side have included USA head coach Mauricio Pochettino, former Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner, Al Ahli’s Matthias Jaissle and Stuttgart coach Sebastian Hoeness.
Amorim has been out of work since January after a difficult spell at Manchester United. Appointed in November 2024 on a three-year contract, he arrived at Old Trafford with a reputation as one of Europe’s most promising coaches after winning two league titles with Sporting.
United paid around €11m to secure his release from Sporting, but results were deeply underwhelming during his tenure. Appointed in November, Amorim oversaw a 15th-place Premier League finish, the club’s lowest in the competition’s history, and a tally of 42 points, their fewest in a top-flight season since relegation in 1974.
His departure was largely due to scrutiny of his commitment to a 3-4-3 system, which led to a fallout with the club’s chiefs.
Milan finished fifth in Serie A last season and are targeting a coach who can return them to the Champions League next season.
