Ruben Amorim has emerged as the preferred managerial target for Liverpool in the past few weeks, and a deal to take the Portuguese boss from Sporting CP is reported to be close

Ruben Amorim is looking more and more likely to be the man Liverpool turn to to fill the void left by Jurgen Klopp as the Portuguese closes in on a summer switch to Anfield.

The 39-year-old Sporting CP boss has emerged as the frontrunner for the Reds in recent weeks, and is now a heavy odds-on favourite for the role with most bookmakers.

Liverpool have been keeping tabs on Amorim for some time, and while most of the media attention has focused on ex-Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso as a potential replacement for Klopp, Amorim’s work in Lisbon has long been admired.

Ruben Amorim is closing in on succeeding Jurgen Klopp (Image: Getty Images)

Amorim led Sporting to their first league title in 19 years in his first full season at the club in 2020-21, and he looks set to follow that up this season. Saturday’s 2-1 win over title rivals Benfica has put Sporting four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand.

It was after that game, a result which many feel has secured Sporting the Portuguese title, that focus intensified around Amorim’s future, with reports in Portugal claiming that talks took place with the Reds on Monday.

Those same reports then indicated that a three-year contract had been drawn up for Amorim, who would work under the new structure headed by Fenway Sports Group’s new CEO of Football Michael Edwards and Liverpool’s director of football Richard Hughes from the start of next season.

Amorim is on the cusp of winning his second Portuguese title (
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Getty Images)
More reports then emerged in Germany on Tuesday morning, via Sky Germany, that Amorim has agreed a that three-year deal in principle with the Reds, although final terms are still to be agreed with Sporting. Bayern Munich did have Amorim on their shortlist to replace the departing Thomas Tuchel this summer.

It remains to be seen whether those reports prove to accurate, but it was perhaps telling that Amorim has refused to guarantee that he will still be Sporting manager next season.

Michael Edwards now has a lead role with FSG (
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LIVERPOOL FC)
When asked before the Benfica game if he was willing to follow Alonso’s example at Bayer Leverkusen and publicly commit to the club for another season, he said: “No, I can’t guarantee [I’ll stay]. I gave my word and I can’t go back on it. If we don’t win titles, I’ll leave Sporting. It was clear from the start, it was the bet I passed on to the players. We have to win titles.”