Liverpool ‘favourite’ tipped to accept job; FSG urged to make ‘offer’ to manager doing ‘miraculous’ job
According to reports, Liverpool target Ruben Amorim is ‘unlikely to resist’ the prospect of replacing Jurgen Klopp ahead of next season.
Xabi Alonso had been the overwhelming favourite to replace Klopp but the Bayer Leverkusen boss announced last Friday that he will stay with the Bundesliga leaders for at least one more season.
Amorim or De Zerbi?
With the Spaniard off the table, Liverpool are understood to be looking at Amorim and Brighton boss Roberto De Zerbi.
Under Amorim, Sporting Lisbon are top of the Primeira Liga, while De Zerbi’s Brighton surpassed expectations to finish sixth in the Premier League last season. The ninth-placed Seagulls have dropped off this term but their manager’s preferred style of play has seen him gain admirers.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano has revealed that Liverpool currently prefers Amorim. He told Caught Offside: “Liverpool are now top of the table and look to have a slight advantage in the title race after their two rivals took points off each other, but it was also intriguing to see Jurgen Klopp heaping so much praise on Roberto de Zerbi after a narrow win over his Brighton side at Anfield.
“Despite the links with De Zerbi as Klopp’s successor, I keep repeating my position on that – I’m told that Ruben Amorim is the favourite option for now. De Zerbi has been on the list for Liverpool for some time as well, but there’s still no development so far.”
READ MORE: De Zerbi buys into Klopp style on Liverpool audition but another loss gives Brighton boss work to do
Over the weekend, Amorim indicated that he is “focused” on Sporting Lisbon and he is “very happy” where he is.
“Right now, I’m focused on Sporting. I’m very proud to be Sporting’s coach. We’re focused on winning titles,” Amorim told reporters.
“You’ll see in the end. I have a contract and I’m very happy here. That’s the most important thing, more than contracts, I’m very happy here.
“The focus is on beating Benfica in the Portuguese Cup.”
Amorim ‘unlikely to resist’ Liverpool
Despite this, a report from Portuguese outlet Correio da Manha (via Sport Witness) claims Amorim is ‘aware of the fact that he is increasingly the main candidate to replace Klopp at the helm of Liverpool’. It is noted that he is ‘unlikely to resist’ interest from the Premier League giants and he’s likely to ‘say yes’ to the club.
Regarding why he is keen to join Liverpool, the report adds: ‘The profile of the club itself: enormous passion among the fans; receptivity to value training and investing in young people; and predilection for attacking football’.
READ MORE: Liverpool are biggest mentality monsters since Solskjaer’s Man Utd
BBC pundit Garth Crooks is in favour of Liverpool appointing De Zerbi, as he is doing a “miraculous” job at Brighton.
“Much has been made about the decision of Xabi Alonso to remain at Bayer Leverkusen, but Liverpool could do much worse than offer Roberto De Zerbi the post,” Crooks said in his column for BBC Sport.
“What he has done at Brighton is nothing short of miraculous.”
