Ruben Amorim will come face to face with Manchester United sooner than expected. The former United manager, who was fired back in January, now runs the show at AC Milan. And the two sides just locked in a pre-season friendly for August 15 in Wroclaw, Poland.
It’s Amorim’s first date with the club that cut him loose after just six months in charge. United were sitting sixth in the Premier League when the axe fell. Michael Carrick stepped in as interim boss and somehow dragged the squad to a third-place finish, sneaking back into the Champions League for the first time since 2023.
Amorim didn’t stay unemployed long. Milan came calling after Massimiliano Allegri failed to deliver Champions League football. The Rossoneri had top four in their sights heading into the final matchday. Then they blew it with a 2-1 loss to Cagliari, a team that finished in the bottom half. That defeat sent them to the Europa League instead.
So now both clubs are in very different places. United is back in the Champions League and looking to build on that momentum. Milan is picking up the pieces and hoping Amorim can get them back to Europe’s top table.
This friendly gives both sides a real test before the season starts. United is expected to be busy this summer. They’ve already agreed to a £38 million deal for Atalanta midfielder Ederson. But the big one is Mateus Fernandes from West Ham. West Ham wants £80 million for the Portuguese midfielder. United is trying to talk them down as the window drags on.
There’s also chatter about Crysencio Summerville, which could mean United tries to pluck two players from West Ham this summer. Nothing is close on that front yet.
For Amorim, this match is personal. He’ll want to show United what they walked away from. And for Carrick, it’s a chance to prove his interim success wasn’t a fluke. The game won’t decide anything major. But it’ll set the tone for both clubs heading into the fall.
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