Ruben Amorim wasn’t at Manchester United long enough to leave a statue — but he’ll be back in their faces before the new season even kicks off. The Portuguese coach who got the axe from Old Trafford in January is set for a quickfire reunion with the Red Devils this summer, and the timing could not be more awkward for either side.
Less than a week after AC Milan officially announced Amorim as their new manager — replacing the fired Massimiliano Allegri — the Serie A giants have locked in a preseason friendly against Manchester United. The match is scheduled for August 15 in Wroclaw, Poland, just two weeks before the Premier League season begins. United’s former boss gets an immediate chance to show them what they let go.
Amorim was dismissed back in January with United sitting sixth in the Premier League table. At the time, the club’s hierarchy decided his methods weren’t clicking with a squad that had slipped out of Champions League contention. But under interim leadership and eventually with Michael Carrick taking the reins, United rebounded enough to secure a top-four finish and a return to Europe’s elite competition for the first time since 2023 — ironically under Amorim’s predecessor, Erik ten Hag.
A Tale of Two Rebuilds
Both clubs find themselves in transition. United, now managed by Carrick on a permanent basis, has identified a handful of targets to reshape the squad. According to multiple reports, Atalanta midfielder Ederson is expected to become the club’s first summer arrival, with a £38 million package already agreed with the Italian side. The Brazilian playmaker would add a much-needed creative spark to United’s engine room.
Milan’s situation is more fragile. After missing out on Champions League qualification — sealed on the final day of the Serie A season — Allegri was shown the door. The Rossoneri are now scrambling to rebuild under Amorim, who inherits a squad that underperformed and may lose its most talismanic attacker.
Rafael Leao’s ‘Come and Get Me’ Plea
Rafael Leao, Milan’s explosive Portuguese winger, has spent the summer at the World Cup with Portugal but has already made his intentions clear off the pitch. The 27-year-old posted on social media that he is planning to leave San Siro after a disappointing campaign. Leao managed 10 goals in 31 appearances across all competitions but struggled to lock down a regular starting role under Allegri’s rigid system.
According to reports from Europe, Leao has essentially issued a ‘come and get me’ plea to clubs in England, with Manchester United among the teams linked to a potential move. The Red Devils have long admired the forward’s pace and directness, and a reunion with Amorim — his former manager at United — would add another layer of drama to this preseason fixture.
Whether that reunion happens on the pitch as teammates or as opponents remains to be seen. What is certain is that August 15 will be more than just a summer kickabout. It’s Amorim’s first chance to prove that Manchester United moved on too soon — and for United to show they made the right call.
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