After Xabi Alonso announced that he would be staying at Bayer Leverkusen this summer, Liverpool have been forced to turn to another candidate who is reportedly well aware of where he stands.
Liverpool's next manager
Alonso's announcement came as quite a shock, with the lure of either Liverpool or Bayern Munich this summer one that looked too good to turn down on paper. However, with his Leverkusen side on course to enjoy a historic invincible season to win the Bundesliga and finally dethrone Bayern, Alonso doesn't want to jump a ship potentially sailing towards even greater success next season.
Back to the drawing board, Michael Edwards and Liverpool must now look elsewhere to complete the impossible task of replacing Jurgen Klopp this season, who could end his time at Anfield with a treble of trophies in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup.
Whoever comes in next will have the biggest shoes to fill in Merseyside for a long time, and they will need time to do exactly that. That man to fill those shoes, now it won't be Alonso, could well be Sporting CP's Ruben Amorim.
Journalist: “Incredible” player could be Salah replacement at Liverpool
He is “on the list” for the Reds this summer.
ByHenry JacksonMar 31, 2024
According to Sunday's edition of Correio da Manha, via Sport Witness, Amorim is aware that he's now becoming the main candidate to replace Klopp at Liverpool this summer, but wants to secure the domestic double in Portugal before anything.
A deal to welcome the manager won't come cheap, however, with Jason Burt and Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph reporting that Amorim could cost the Reds as much as £12.8m this summer. Those at Anfield will hope that it's a cost worth paying and not one they regret if they push on and make the 39-year-old their Klopp replacement.
"Talented" Amorim can make Bradley even better
As good as Conor Bradley has been since coming into Klopp's Liverpool side in the second-half of the season, Amorim's 3-4-3 system has the potential to take the Northern Irishman up an even further level, perhaps whilst allowing Trent Alexander-Arnold to step into midfield.
Given the success that he has had at right-back, it's easy to imagine the attacking benefits that Bradley could provide as a wing-back under Amorim. The Sporting manager is certainly someone who's highly rated around Europe too, with Football Talent Scout's Jacek Kulig calling him a "very talented coach" back in 2020.
With that said, whilst there will undoubtedly be disappointment over their failure to welcome Alonso, Amorim could be a more than adequate second choice for Liverpool. If given time, the young manager has the chance to begin what could quickly prove to be an outstanding managerial legacy.