Exposed: The true motive behind West Ham's rejection of Ruben Amorim

West Ham United's stunning 2-1 victory over Manchester United on Sunday proved to be the tipping point for Erik ten Hag, ultimately leading to his departure. The chain reaction set off by this match seems to have reached its pinnacle as Sporting CP manager Ruben Amorim is reportedly on the verge of making a move to Manchester in the near future.

Ironically, West Ham themselves were reportedly close to appointing Amorim as their long-term David Moyes replacement over the summer before a move broke down and Julen Lopotegui was offered the job instead.

After what appeared to be a transformative transfer window in East London, the Hammers have so far flattered to deceive, with Sunday's victory coming as just their fourth in all competitions this season.

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Amorim was perhaps the most sought-after property on the manager market this summer thanks to his performances in Portugal over the past few years.

Both Liverpool and West Ham were publicly courting the 39-year-old prior to appointing Arne Slot and Lopetegui respectively, while Amorim has continued his good work into the new season.

Reports suggested that Amorim, who ranked at no.11 in FourFourTwo's list of the best managers in the world right now, personally flew to London for direct talks with the Hammers in April before quickly returning to Lisbon after failing to find an agreement, even going as far as publicly apologising to the Sporting faithful.

According to the Daily Mail, the reason for the disagreement between the club and manager comes from Amorim's lack of experience outside of Portugal, which was seen as a major red flag for the West Ham hierarchy.

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Tasked with replacing club hero David Moyes, West Ham opted to play it safer, appointing Lopetegui having spent time at Wolves in recent seasons, as well as successful stints at Sevilla and Porto.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Lopetegui has come under the same criticism he faced at Wolves, with fans seemingly already frustrated by his overly pragmatic approach and lack of man-management skills, most obviously with Mohammed Kudus.

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Meanwhile, Amorim's Sporting side have started the season in emphatic fashion, winning each of the first nine league games while remaining unbeaten in the Champions League.

Manchester United face Chelsea this weekend when the Premier League returns.