Liverpool have reportedly edged closer to hiring Ruben Amorim after making first contact with Sporting Lisbon over bringing him to Anfield this summer.
The Reds are seeking a successor to Jurgen Klopp, who will end his nine-year reign on Merseyside at the end of the season, hoping to sign off by winning the treble of the Premier League, Europa League and Carabao Cup – which he lifted in February.
Liverpool had initially pursued their former midfielder Xabi Alonso, who is working wonders at Bayer Leverkusen having led them to an unbeaten Bundesliga season and going 16 points clear of Bayern Munich at the top of the table.
However, Alonso turned down both Liverpool and another interested party in Bayern to pledge his allegiance to Leverkusen next year – leaving Amorim as the next favourite to take the Anfield hotseat.
According to CNN, via O Jogo, the Reds have made initial contact with the 39-year-old manager and his representatives to ‘assess the possibility of him leading the team next season’.
Liverpool have reportedly made first contact with Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim
The Portguese boss has taken a step closer to taking over the Reds – after a disputed report claimed he had agreed a deal to become the next coach
The report adds that there have been no official talks between Liverpool and Sporting as of yet, though Amorim is aware of the Premier League club’s interest in his services.
It went on to say that discussions between the two clubs ‘wouldn’t be prudent at this point in the season’ as Sporting focus on attempting to secure the Portuguese league championship. Sporting are four points clear of nearest rivals Benfica at the top of the league with a game in hand – and just seven games remain.
However, a disputed report from Sky Germany has claimed that a three-year deal has already been reached between Liverpool and Amorim.
O Jogo add that Amorim ‘wants to take a step forward in his career’ and that he would ‘not think twice’ about interest from ‘one of the biggest clubs in the world’.
His contract expires in 2026 and has a release clause of around £17m (€20m).
The 39-year-old has emerged as the top target to succeed departing boss Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool are stepping up their search after missing out on their top target Xabi Alonso
Mail Sport understands Liverpool have denied the links to Amorim after reporting last week that he was open to a Premier League job and was actively exploring coaching opportunities in England ahead of next season.
Amorim – one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe – will not be short of admirers.
Chelsea are long term admirers of Amorim but have distanced themselves from a summer move for the highly-rated coach amid doubts over the future of Mauricio Pochettino; while Manchester United may look be looking for a new manager amid uncertainty over INEOS’ commitment to Erik ten Hag.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are also on the look out for a new boss with club legend Xavi leaving the Nou Camp, while Bayern Munich, who also wanted to appoint Alonso, are identifying replacements for the outgoing Thomas Tuchel.
Amorim has refused to commit his future to Sporting beyond this season after being quizzed about the possibility of him leaving.
Klopp shocked football by revealing he will step down as Liverpool boss in the summer
After being asked on Friday if he could follow Alonso and commit his future to his current employers, he said: ‘No, I can’t guarantee that.
‘I don’t want to be talking too much about my future. But I won’t argue or put any pressure on Sporting, I owe the club a lot.’
Liverpool have been on the lookout for a new manager for some time after Klopp revealed he informed them of his desire to call time on his reign back in November.
In a bombshell announcement of the news in January, Klopp said he was ‘running out of energy’ following nearly a decade in the role and needed a break from football.
‘I will leave the club at the end of the season,’ he said. ‘I can understand that it’s a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it.
‘It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.’
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