Replacing Jurgen Klopp is almost as impossible as it sounds, but it’s something that Liverpool must do this summer following the German’s exit announcement a few months ago. Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen stay has since made that task even more difficult, but a fresh update on Ruben Amorim has offered the Reds some positive news.
Ruben Amorim to Liverpool update
Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have been left with no choice but to pivot away from Alonso following the Spaniard’s announcement that he will be staying at Leverkusen for at least another season. In an ideal world, one of Europe’s hottest prospects in the managerial world would’ve been on his way to Anfield, alas Alonso made his choice and Liverpool must look elsewhere.
Since the Alonso news, the main two names mentioned have been Roberto De Zerbi, who has done an excellent job at Brighton & Hove Albion, and Sporting CP’s Ruben Amorim, who has equally impressed in Portugal. Reports have suggested that the Brighton man is currently not near the top of the Reds’ shortlist, however.
Meanwhile, according to Pedro Sepulveda, Liverpool have formally opened negotiations over welcoming Amorim to replace Klopp this summer and are leading the race to sign the highly-rated 39-year-old. The deal won’t come cheap though, given that the manager’s release clause allegedly sits at a hefty €20m (£17m), though that could yet be re-negotiated in the coming months and may even be set lower for clubs outside of Portugal.
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He’s not made a competitive appearance for the club since October 2021.
Sepulveda, of course, initially broke the news that Liverpool were signing Darwin Nunez and now looks to have provided further positive news for those at Anfield ahead of a busy summer window. If negotiations are successful, then the Reds may have found their replacement for Klopp.
“Talented” Amorim can replicate Klopp’s intensity
No matter who comes in to replace Klopp, they must be as close in style as possible to the Anfield legend. And Amorim, whilst still having a number of differences, can replicate Klopp’s desire for intensity on the pitch, with his system implementing a similarly suffocating press to how the current Liverpool boss first aimed to set up his team when arriving in 2015. That said, this is not without its risks, as The Athletic’s Alex Barker explained last month.
Still a young manager at 39-years-old, Liverpool would need to give Amorim time to adjust to the Premier League, but just like Klopp, it may well be worth it in the long run. What will undoubtedly help is the fact that Klopp is leaving behind a squad currently on course to win the Premier League with academy players thriving more than they have since the days of Jamie Carragher, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard.
Described as “talented” by Football Talent Scout’s Jacek Kulig, the Premier League may see exactly what Amorim has to offer sooner rather than later.
