Arsenal

Liverpool did their business largely under the radar in Michael Edwards’ first spell at Anfield, and the new CEO could do with some of that control in their search for a new manager after Ruben Amorim was forced to deny false reports.

Liverpool fans won’t have been hugely encouraged by Ruben Amorim’s response having been asked once again whether he would be leaving Sporting Lisbon for the Reds in the summer.

“I don’t feel like I’ve finished a cycle,” Amorim said. “I feel like I want to keep going so this isn’t over yet, we want to win and keep moving forward.”

What exactly constitutes a “cycle” in Amorim’s mind isn’t clear, and he may well be the Liverpool manager come the summer having secured the Primeira Liga for Sporting, but the way in which his comments chime with those of Xabi Alonso, when Liverpool’s first choice to succeed Jurgen Klopp committed his future to Bayer Leverkusen, will hardly have heartened Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes in their bid to secure their new favourite.

READ MORE: The Coutinho con and selling Salah to Klopp: Michael Edwards’ 10 Liverpool highlights

“It’s the right place for me to be, to develop as a coach,” Alonso said. “The fans showed great support this year. They have all the reasons to believe and dream we can have a great season. The players gave me so many reasons to keep believing in the team. My job is not over here.”

In both instances, Liverpool haven’t been helped by false reporting.

A club renowned for getting transfers completed under the radar has felt the damaging force of the rumour mill in their chase of a new manager. It was inevitable, with the stature of the club, the legacy of the departing boss and battles with fellow European giants uniting to create an unmissable