Ruben Amorim has set Jason Wilcox new challenge at Manchester United

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It might still be relatively early days, but the relationship between Manchester United head coach Ruben Amorim and technical director Jason Wilcox is off to an encouraging start. The pair speak daily, and according to Sir Jim Ratcliffe, Amorim is benefitting from Wilcox's leadership around Carrington.

But Wilcox will know he has much to live up to in building the kind of long-term relationship that can drive a club forward. Amorim and Hugo Viana might now be on different sides in Manchester, but their work transforming Sporting will make them lifelong friends.

That is the view of Amorim himself, who already had a relationship with Viana before being recruited by the director of football to take over at Sporting. Their union brought success back to the Lisbon club in the form of two league titles before going their separate ways this season.

Viana will officially replace Txiki Begiristain as Manchester City's director of football in the summer. Having left Sporting in February, he has already spent time in Manchester getting to know and understand the club. He will be plotting a return to the top for City, while Amorim has the same aims at United.

Viana already has the manager in place, with Pep Guardiola staying on at the Etihad. At the same time, Amorim has been thrust into a relationship with Wilcox, who has assumed many of the responsibilities of axed sporting director Dan Ashworth.

Amorim was idolised in Lisbon as the coach to end their 19-year wait for another league title, but he was always quick to praise Viana for building a squad of excellent players capable of fitting in his system.

"Viana has proved, over and over, that he can do magic," Amorim said, coining a phrase that sums up the skill of a director of football who can navigate the transfer window.

"We have to remember that we fight against clubs that are stronger than us financially, so we have to put much more effort, we have to present our project and show our track record in the transfer market."

There will be no track record on show at United this summer, although they are now in a position of fighting against clubs that are stronger than them financially. Wilcox must make a limited budget stretch this summer as he reshapes the squad to suit Amorim.

In other words, the 53-year-old will have to "do magic." If he can achieve that, the relationship between the former Blackburn winger and Benfica midfielder will survive. Ratcliffe is certainly confident in his ability to do just that.

"Jason, for me, is a guy at the coal face. He ran the academy at Manchester City. Txiki Begiristain, I know, thought Jason had the best eyes in the club," Ratcliffe said in an interview with the Sunday Times last week.

“He’s a warm character, he’s got a sense of humour, he knows what he’s talking about, he’s got a really good relationship with Ruben. So, you know, if you compare that with last season when we had Erik and John Murtough [as football director], it’s chalk and cheese.”

“Jason knows what’s working, what’s not working in terms of how Ruben’s playing, his system, which players he’s picking, which players we are going to buy in the future. And Jason’s got views on all of those things. And when I listen to Jason speak, I get what he’s saying.”

The January transfer window was a positive start with the signing of Patrick Dorgu for £25million, but more is required. If Wilcox can make magic this summer, then his relationship with Amorim could prosper for a long time.

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