Ruben Amorim's bold declaration that he would depart Manchester United "without any conversation about compensation" may now return to haunt the club's former manager. United are reportedly facing a bill of around £12million following Amorim's dismissal because the head coach had 18 months remaining on his contract.

This payout comes just over a year after the club splashed out nearly £10million to prise him away from Sporting CP in November 2024. When factoring in his salary from their appointment until Monday's sacking, the total cost of Amorim's trophy-free tenure could reach £30million.

United might be able to use the coach's own words against him, though, following comments after the Europa League final. In the aftermath of their loss to Tottenham Hotspur in Bilbao, Amorim said: "If the board and the fans feel I'm not the right guy, I will go in the next day without any conversation about compensation, but I will not quit."

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Football finance specialist Kieran Maguire highlighted Amorim's previous statement when discussing compensation. He told the Manchester Evening News: "If they hold him to that, then could they avoid paying him?"

Maguire noted that matters become more complex when considering Amorim's backroom team. Assistant manager Carlos Fernandes, first-team coaches Adelio Candido and Emanuel Ferro, goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital and fitness coach Paulo Barreira all left alongside the Portuguese tactician.

The expert explained: "If they're going to sack all of his staff at the same time, then I think it becomes more complicated than that because, presumably, all of his entourage will go as well. [The club] might be able to hold him to his comment last May, but equally, he could hold the club to its comments from Jim Ratcliffe that they weren't going to sack him."

Ratcliffe said on The Business podcast in October: "Ruben needs to demonstrate he is a great coach over three years. He then reiterated when asked whether Amorim would get three years: "Yes, that is where I would be, three years."

Maguire, meanwhile, recognises United are "fine from a financial point of view" despite the massive expenditure on Amorim and summer signings alongside extensive cost-cutting measures throughout the club following Ratcliffe's acquisition. He explained: "They've controlled wages fairly well, partly due to the fact that the players they've recruited, they're coming on big fees but not big wages, and they've managed to shift some of the big wage players, at least out on loan, if you take a look at [Jadon Sancho and [Marcus] Rashford and so on.

"So I don't see them being in a financial crisis at all. And also for the first time in a long time, they've managed to monetise the academy.

"You've got the sales of [Scott] McTominay, [Mason] Greenwood and [Alejandro] Garnacho, all the former academy players." United pocketed nearly £100million in transfer fees from that trio. Maguire added: "So all of that's pure profit, which means that they're good from a PSR point of view. It's starting to generate money as well.

"Historically, they've been a long, long way behind the other clubs in the big six, especially Chelsea and Manchester City, both of whom are super smart when it comes to converting sort of the commoditisation of children. I know that sounds a bit melodramatic, but that's what you're doing with the academy."

He concluded: "So I think that's part of the culture of Manchester United that probably has changed. That has improved under Ineos to an extent; other aspects of the club, perhaps less so."

United are presently hunting for a new permanent replacement for Amorim, but are likely to name a caretaker manager until the season concludes. In the meantime, Darren Fletcher will oversee Wednesday night's fixture against Burnley.

However, the club have been in discussions with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick regarding taking the reins for the remainder of the campaign. The former appears most likely to take charge from Fletcher.