Sporting head coach and incoming Manchester United boss Ruben Amorim has admitted that the Manchester City job ‘crossed his mind’ in recent weeks.

The 39-year-old has agreed to become the successor to Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, after the struggling Red Devils made the decision to dismiss their Dutch coach after a string of continuously poor and inconsistent results across competitions.

With very little seen in the way of improvements, United bosses are seemingly moving in a very different direction by appointing a young coach that has excelled within the European game and rebuilt a Sporting side that had gone almost 20 years without a league title.

With two top-flight successes in the Portuguese Primeira Liga under Ruben Amorim, the Sporting coach will arrive in Manchester with a proven track record of winning, but the task that awaits him at Old Trafford is a mammoth challenge for even the very best operators.

Speaking during his pre-match press conference ahead of the Champions League meeting with Manchester City on Tuesday night, Amorim admitted that after Hugo Viana’s switch to the Etihad Stadium was finalised, his own potential move to the club ‘crossed his mind’.

“It’s something that crosses your mind but I never had any doubts,” Amorim responded when quizzed on whether he ever thought about potentially following his close friend and colleague Hugo Viana to the Etihad Stadium.

“My decision has been made and that’s the club (Manchester United) I want to work for,” the 39-year-old continued. “That’s where I want to continue my career as a coach.

“It crossed my mind (potentially joining Manchester City in future), but I decided on the club I wanted and I didn’t want anything else. I wanted Manchester United and that’s what I did.”

Hugo Viana was appointed by Manchester City as their next Director of Football, with Txiki Begiristain bringing an end to an illustrious 12-year career at the Etihad Stadium and overseeing the building of some of the finest squads seen in the European game.

There could yet be further major change within the Manchester City set-up too, as the Premier League champions await a final decision from Pep Guardiola on whether the Catalan will bring an end to his stay with his contract expiring at the end of the ongoing campaign.