BBC man tells Liverpool three reasons why Ruben Amorim is ...

Why Liverpool have dodged a bullet by missing out on Xabi Alonso has been revealed, with a BBC reporter outlining three reasons why new number one target, Ruben Amorim, is the superior choice anyway.

The Reds earmarked Bayer Leverkusen’s wildly impressive Xabi Alonso as their preferred option to replace Jurgen Klopp. Klopp will leave Liverpool at season’s end and will take a sabbatical before weighing up his next move.

Alonso has worked wonders at Leverkusen and with a hefty 10-point advantage over Bayern Munich, is on course to guide his side to their first ever Bundesliga title.

The idea of leaving Leverkusen as a conquering hero and joining Liverpool or Bayern Munich had been floated. Both clubs are seeking a new manager, with Thomas Tuchel set to leave Bayern when the current campaign concludes.

However, news broke last night of Alonso being inclined to remain with Leverkusen for at least one more season.

Now, according to Fabrizio Romano, Alonso’s final decision to stay loyal to Leverkusen will be made public very shortly.

Taking to X, Romano stated “Xabi Alonso, set to stay at Bayer Leverkusen with announcement to follow in public.

“Decision made and confirmed for Xabi who’s staying for one more season.”

Alonso’s current contract with Leverkusen contains a release clause, though it does not become active until 2025.

Unfortunately for Liverpool and Bayern Munich, that timeline does not match their need for a new manager in the here and now.

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Various trusted sources including the Times’ Paul Joyce as well as Romano all suggested Liverpool will now move for Sporting CP boss, Ruben Amorim.

Aged just 39, Amorim is actually three years younger than Alonso, though has already been in senior management for nearly five full seasons. Prior to joining Sporting in 2020 Amorim managed Braga for 18 months. Alonso is in just his second season of senior management.

According to BBC reporter, Chris Bertram, that extra experience is one of three reasons why Amorim may actually be the wiser choice for Liverpool owners FSG anyway.

Aside from that factor, Bertram also pointed to the fact Amorim has already shown he can overcome adversity in the top job.

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Amorim guided Sporting to their first league title in 19 years during the 2020/21 season. His side finished second the year after before surprisingly dropping to fourth last season.

However, Amorim has shown his capability to overcome adversity and currently has his side top of the table once more. Sporting currently lead Benfica in the Primeira Liga by a point and also have a game in hand.

Furthermore, Amorim has shown he can put his side in genuine title contention despite losing some of his best players.

Matheus Nunes and Joao Palhinha – now of Manchester City and Fulham – were both sold during Amorim’s stint in charge.

That ability to withstand high profile exits and still compete for top honours could be particularly pertinent for Liverpool given Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract in 2025.

Elsewhere, Portuguese newspaper Record dropped a big hint on Friday morning with Amorim the lead story on their front page.

Their headline read: “Liverpool aperta Amorim”, which translates to ‘Liverpool squeeze Amorim.’

The Portuguese media have touted Liverpool as Amorim’s next destination for over a month and the inference is the Alonso news has only served to heighten the chances Amorim ends up at Anfield.

Furthermore, their sub-heading read: “Reds want to meet with coach at the end of the season, Italian [Roberto De] Zerbi also on the list.”

Amorim’s current deal in Lisbon contains a release clause Liverpool can activate this summer. Sources have differed as to how much it’s worth, though most agree the magic number is €20m.

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