Manchester United stakeholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe is supposedly concerned that Ruben Amorim could end up leaving his post of his own accord this summer.
The former Sporting Lisbon boss could yet win a trophy in his first season at the club as the Red Devils prepare to face Tottenham Hotspur in Wednesday's Europa League final, but their domestic campaign has been nothing short of disastrous.
Amorim's side were condemned to their 18th loss of the Premier League season in Friday's 1-0 defeat to Chelsea, which left the 20-time English champions in a humiliating 16th place in the top-flight table.
Man United cannot finish any higher than 13th or collect any more than 45 points when all is said and done, and they are confirmed to be suffering their worst-ever Premier League season points-wise.
Conflicting reports have emerged over what will happen with Amorim's future this summer; it has been claimed that the Portuguese's future will be reviewed but also suggested that his job is not currently under any threat.
Ratcliffe 'seeking assurances' from Amorim over Man United future
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The 40-year-old's contract at the Theatre of Dreams still runs for another two seasons, although he recently hinted that he could walk away from the job if Man United's worrying plight continues.
Now, The Sun claims that Ratcliffe is 'fearful' about the prospect of Amorim resigning from his position following his comments, but the INEOS chief wants the Portuguese to oversee their summer rebuild.
Ratcliffe is reportedly prepared to back Amorim in the transfer market with significant funds, but the 72-year-old wants guarantees from the first-team coach that he definitely wants to continue in his position.
Ratcliffe supposedly sees a lot of himself in Amorim, viewing the ex-Sporting boss as a 'loose cannon' who can turn Man United's fortunes around, but there are genuine concerns that he could walk away even if he leads the club to Europa League glory.
As part of an incentive for Amorim to stay, Ratcliffe and his INEOS team will give the 40-year-old a major say in the summer transfer window, where he will partly decide who stays, who goes and who is brought in.
What should Man United do with Amorim?
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The statistics are pretty damning; Amorim has won just six of his first 26 Premier League games in charge of Man United, the same Man United that used to dominate the land in both England and Europe.
The Portuguese's paltry record of 0.92 points per game is even lower than that of Paul Jewell, who oversaw Derby County's historically significant 2007-08 season but still boasted a 0.94 ppg record in the competition overall.
However, it is hard not to feel some sympathy for Amorim, who inherited the mess that Erik ten Hag left and quickly tried to overhaul the way his team played, with players that were brought in for the previous system.
The 40-year-old remains one of the most highly-rated young coaches in the world for a reason, and the Red Devils' Europa League exploits against Athletic Bilbao showcased as such, so sacking him would surely put Man United back to square one.
Nevertheless, at a time where hundreds of jobs are being cut and fans are becoming disillusioned with the drastic money-saving measures, Ratcliffe must ensure that his manager is properly supported in the transfer window lest he risk his biggest fear coming true.
Ben Knapton
