Amorim reveals truth over Liverpool ‘agreement’: ‘This is the last time I’m going to talk’
Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim has claimed that there has been “no interview, let alone an agreement” to become the new Liverpool manager.
The Reds are on the lookout for a new manager after Jurgen Klopp announced that he will be leaving Anfield at the end of the season to take a break from football.
Ruben Amorim: There’s been no interview, let alone an agreement
Xabi Alonso was the early favourite but his choice to remain at Bayer Leverkusen rather than pursue a move elsewhere has seen Amorim move to the top of Liverpool’s list.
Amorim has also been linked to Barcelona and Chelsea but a report claimed that Liverpool had struck a ‘verbal agreement’ with the Portuguese coach earlier this week, a claim that was quickly dismissed by BBC Sport and James Pearce.
And now Amorim himself has spoken out about the links and insisted that there are “no interviews or agreements” with any other club.
The Sporting Lisbon boss said in a press conference: “This is the last time I’m going to talk about my future. There’s been no interview, let alone an agreement. The only thing we all want is to be champions with Sporting, and nothing will change.
READ MORE: Five Sporting players Ruben Amorim should bring with him to Liverpool
“I’m Sporting’s coach. There’s been no interview with any club, no agreement with any club. I’m just focussed, as always, on defending my club. As I no longer have anything to say, there will be no interviews or agreements with the Sporting coach. That subject is completely settled, whether for this club or another.”
There is clearly no agreement in place but Portuguese publication Jornal Noticias insists that Amorim has asked Liverpool for three signings if he joins in the summer.
The report (via the Daily Express) claims that Amorim has ‘already given three names’ he wants Liverpool to sign if he agrees to become the new Reds boss.
He wants the Premier League side to sign Martin Hjulmand, Goncalo Inacio and Ousmane Diomande from his current outfit Sporting Lisbon to improve the Liverpool squad.
Despite Amorim’s comments, journalist Neil Jones – who has been covering Liverpool for years – insists that the Sporting boss is still “the main name in the frame” to be Klopp’s successor.
Jones wrote in his Caught Offside column: “Ruben Amorim is certainly the main name in the frame for Liverpool this summer, but I should stress that Anfield sources have been adamant that there has been no agreement reached with him, and that even the idea that he has been identified as the No.1 candidate is premature right now.
“It’s definitely not an easy market right now, finding a manager for a Champions League level club. There are good candidates out there, but none which come close to being ‘risk-free’. Amorim is clearly a very good coach and his achievements at Sporting demand respect, but there have to be at least some questions as to how quickly or effectively that will transfer to England, and to a club with such tradition and expectation as Liverpool.
Neil Jones: Ruben Amorim represents a good option for Liverpool
“What I think works in his favour is the fact that he has had success as an underdog, taking on Benfica and Porto in Portugal, and that he seems to encourage a style of play which mixes ambition with control. I think Klopp’s style is often misrepresented in this country – he is a lot more defensively-minded than many believe – and to be successful in the Premier League, your team needs to be good with and without the ball. Amorim’s Sporting seem to be both.
“In an imperfect market, I think he represents a good option; young, with medals in his back pocket, good communication skills and room to develop further as a coach.
“If he is to be Liverpool’s man, and I suspect he will be, it will be interesting to see how he gets on.”
READ MORE: If Ruben Amorim does take the Liverpool job, will he be a Mourinho or an AVB?
