It would cost him millions in the pocket.
But the damage to his bank balance would be chicken feed, compared to the destruction to his reputation if Ruben Amorim chose to remain at Manchester United next season.
Sometimes a manager has to hold his hands up and admit he made a mistake. And all the evidence points towards Amorim making a humongous one in agreeing to replace Erik ten Hag as United boss.
Only Amorim himself knows how much due diligence was done before he chose to jump in at the deep end when swapping Sporting Lisbon for United.
But he made the mistake others have done in the recent past, by believing the chance to manage United was too good to turn down. One which might come along once in a career.
It's taken him just over three months to discover the brutal truth - that this notion is now nothing more than a naïve myth. Managing United these days is anything but a privilege.
The honour, respect and entitlement that should come with it has long gone. The downward spiral all started back in 2013, when Sir Alex Ferguson handed over the reigns to poor David Moyes.
Moyes might have inherited a title-winning team, but he did so in name only. Because that squad was neglected, and it took just 13 months of pain and misery to chew Moyes up and spit him out.
The same thing is now happening to Amorim. The Portuguese coach has to take a slice of the blame when it comes to his stubborn attitude towards how he wants football to be played.
But the bottom line is he's walked into a club rotten from the inside out. He stands on the sidelines looking lost and broken, stunned by a group of pitiful players incapable of replicating their training ground instructions on the pitch.
He doesn't recognise what he sees, and supporters don't recognise the same talent, application and attitude which once made United the most successful team in Europe.
Amorim has a striker who cost more than £70m, but hasn't scored in his last 17 games. A winger who doesn't want to come back out of the dressing room because he's been substituted. A midfielder who earns almost £400,000-a-week that he doesn't want to pick.
A goalkeeper and defenders who cannot manage the basic act of communication, and a midfielder in Mason Mount, who has been reduced to a £55m crock. In short, a group of imposters betraying the proud qualities which once made United the best in the land.
Throw into the mix owners who continue to sack staff with warp speed, while those who survive the culls see all the pleasure of working for United sucked out of them.
No more Christmas parties, no more canteen and threatening emails from CEO Omar Berrada, promising to hit those who breathe a word of what is going on with gross misconduct charges and the bullet.
Even Fergie himself hasn't escaped the wrath of INEOS. The bloke Amorim rings up on a regular basis for help and advice. Amorim must know deep down the challenge in front of him is too great. That quitting would save his sanity in the long run.
And if Fergie had anything about him, he'd be telling him as such.
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