As Aston Villa and Wolves have found out this season, convincing Ruben Amorim to walk away from the Sporting Lisbon dugout is easier said than done.
According to The Sun, the former Portugal international was the top choice to replace Bruno Lage at Wolverhampton Wanderers in October. Amorim, however, had little interest in swapping a European challenge for a relegation battle.
“Obviously, I want to be in big leagues,” explains a coach who guided Sporting to their first Primeira Liga title since a young Cristiano Ronaldo was making waves in Lisbon (O Jogo).
“But that’s not what attracts me; it’s having a good project, good players, being able to convey my identity to my players.”
The chance to restore Tottenham to the relative-glory of the Mauricio Pochettino era, however, might just be the opportunity Amorim has been waiting for. Spurs may have fallen some way since that Champions League final and those Premier League title charges. But whoever inherits Antonio Conte’s job will still have the some rather tasty raw ingredients in the fridge; Richarlison, Heung-Min Son, Cristian Romero, Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Rodrigo Bentancur, his former Sporting right-back Pedro Porro, and potentially Harry Kane too.
With Ruben Amorim replace Antonio Conte at Tottenham Hotspur?
You only need look at the job Erik ten Hag has done at Manchester United to realise that, with the right manager and the right philosophy, a previously underachieving bunch can be transformed into something far greater.
And it’s certainly hard to imagine a Conte team going at Arsenal like Amorim’s Sporting did during a thrilling 2-2 Europa League draw on Thursday night. Marcus Edwards lead the charge from right-wing; the former Spurs youngster blossoming into one of Portugal’s most feared attackers under Amorim’s tutelage. This season, Edwards has 10 goals and 11 assists from 38 games. He was a constant menace against Arsenal; a cheeky nutmeg here, a turn of pace there. It was Edwards’ lovely sliderule pass which paved the way for Paulinho’s equaliser too.
‘A bit like Lionel Messi’
Barely a window goes by without Edwards being linked with a return to North London; a fee of £30 million potentially enough to do the trick. Spurs have already raided Sporting once this year for Porro and, with The Athletic reporting that Fabio Paraitici is a huge Amorim fan, could return to a familiar marketplace in the coming weeks.
And if Amorim does sign on the dotted line, it’s hard to think of a more convenient time for Spurs’ prodigal son to come home.
“Marcus is a player with a lot of talent,” Amorim tells Football London. “(Former Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino) said he had something a bit like Lionel Messi.
“He’s playing in Champions League, he is maturing, but I think he can improve a lot. He has got the talent but can still improve.
“He’s happy (at Sporting). He still has a lot to give and a lot to improve. But I see a very happy future for Marcus Edwards.”
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