Reds favourite Ruben cagey over his future
RUBEN AMORIM has refused to commit his future to Portuguese league leaders Sporting Lisbon amid major interest from Liverpool.
The Reds last week conceded defeat over Bayer Leverkusen boss Xabi Alonso, who many fans wanted to see return to the club to replace Jurgen Klopp, and young Sporting boss Amorim emerged as the front-runner for the job.
He was yesterday asked if he could follow Alonso and commit his future to his current employers. But he said: ‘No, I can’t guarantee that. I don’t want to be talking too much about my future. But I won’t argue or put any pressure on Sporting, I owe the club a lot.’ Amorim has led Sporting to the Portuguese Cup final with a two-leg win over Lisbon rivals Benfica, including a steely 2-2 draw at Estadio da Luz on Tuesday. The teams meet again today at Sporting’s Estadio Jose Alvalade, with one point separating them in the league. Mail Sport revealed yesterday that the 39-year-old is open to a Premier League job and his camp are actively exploring opportunities in England. Sources in Portugal say it is almost certain he will leave Sporting this summer, especially if he wins a second league title.
Amorim is well connected and shares an agent, Raul Pais da Costa, with Liverpool forward Luis Diaz. His brother-in-law is former Paris Saint-Germain chief Antero Henrique. Chelsea and Barcelona have distanced themselves from moves for him. The young boss is said to have rated highly on Liverpool’s internal due diligence and fits the desired profile of a young, up-and-coming manager.