'The club won nothing' - Ruben Amorim behind-the-scenes impact revealed as Liverpool rumours continue

Abel Xavier is convinced that Ruben Amorim would be the ideal next manager for Liverpool due to his similarities with current Reds boss Jurgen Klopp.

The German announced back in January that he would leave the club at the end of the season, calling time on his hugely-successful nine-year managerial stint at Anfield.

Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso had previously been considered as a front-runner to replace Klopp following his remarkable transformation of Bayer Leverkusen. However, the Spaniard announced at the end of last month that he would be staying with the German outfit.

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Consequently, Sporting boss Amorim has since emerged as the new favourite to take over at Anfield.

Reports in Portugal on Monday claimed Liverpool have reached a verbal agreement with representatives of Amorim over a three-year contract. However, the ECHO understands such suggestions are premature with the process to recruit their next manager, led by Fenway Sports Group football supremo Michael Edwards, ongoing.

However, Amorim has still emerged as an attractive option after impressing in Portugal.

Having done his UEFA coaching badges alongside Amorim, Xavier has inevitably closely followed his compatriot’s progress back in Portugal.

Sporting paid the third-highest transfer fee for a manager in history when parting with €10m to bring in the Portuguese from SC Braga in March 2020 - despite Amorim only having two months of top-flight experience at the time.

That decision has paid off considerably over the past four years with the 39-year-old leading Sporting to the Primeira Liga in