Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim breaks his silence on links with Man City amid uncertainty over Pep Guardiola’s future

Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim has addressed speculation that he could replace Pep Guardiola at Manchester City.

Guardiola’s contract at City is due to expire at the end of the season and he is yet to commit his long-term future to the club.

If the Spaniard leaves the Etihad next summer, it has been reported that Amorim would be strongly considered for the position after impressing in Portugal.

Mail Sport exclusively revealed last week that Sporting’s current director of football Hugo Viana has agreed a deal to take over from Txiki Begiristain next year, and Amorim has been linked with joining him in England. But Amorim has denied that he has decided to follow Viana to the Premier League.

‘Hugo Viana and me, we have different and separate paths,’ Amorim told Cabine Desportiva.

Pep Guardiola’s future is uncertain, with his contract set to expire next summer

‘His appointment doesn’t mean that I’m going to Man City. We have a very good professional relationship.’

Sporting and City are due to meet in the Champions League next month, and Amorim revealed Viana will stay away from the team for that week, but does not expect his relationship with the former Newcastle player to change for the remainder of their time together in Portugal.

‘Nothing about Sporting has changed. Nothing. Everything remains the same until the end of the season,’ he insisted. 

‘Obviously, Viana, during City’s week, won’t be available to enter the dressing room. I’m going to leave him out, to avoid conflicts. Otherwise, everything will stay the same until the end of the season.’

Amorim joined Sporting in 2020 and led them to their first league title since 2002 the following year.

He repeated the feat last season, and Sporting have made the perfect start to the current campaign, winning all eight league matches to open up a three-point lead at the top of the table.

But succeeding Guardiola would be a big ask given the Spanish manager’s unprecedented success at City.

Guardiola spoke out on his future last weekend, claiming he is still yet to decide whether he will remain at City beyond 2025.

Hugo Viana (pictured) has agreed to leave Sporting to become City’s sporting director next year, but Amorim has denied that this means he will follow his fellow countryman

‘I’ve not decided anything, everything can happen. So I don’t know,’ Guardiola said during an appearance on the chat show Che Tempo Che Fa.

‘I still need to reflect and decide what I want to do’.

At the time of Guardiola’s comments, it appeared he was still in the running to potentially become the next England manager.

However, the FA confirmed the appointment of Thomas Tuchel on an 18-month contract on Wednesday, with the German set to take up his position in January.