Ruben Amorim appears to be closing in on a move to Liverpool Football Club, according to one update from Pedro Sepulveda.

The journalist shared the news in question on X (formerly Twitter), announcing that the ex-Braga boss’ agent has ‘bought an apartment in Liverpool’.

This comes at a time when the Reds and the 39-year-old are finalising negotiations over a proposed switch to L4 this summer.

Rúben Amorim's agent bought an apartment in Liverpool. One of his employee will live there permanently.

They've Diaz in @LFC.

@LFC and Amorim are in final negotiations regarding the coach's contract.

@SportingCP doesn't have any name to replace Amorim, yet. pic.twitter.com/ZnqezzqvEe

— Pedro Sepúlveda (@pedromsepulveda) April 18, 2024

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘I’m told’: Fabrizio Romano now reacts to reports Liverpool are scouting £51.4m centre-half

READ MORE: ‘Not too surprised’: Fabrizio Romano drops intriguing morning Liverpool manager news

Ruben Amorim: Jurgen Klopp’s official successor?

Boy, oh boy, that sounds scary to write, let alone say out loud!

Nothing’s official yet, of course, as things currently stand, with both the club and patch journalists awfully quiet when it comes to reported talks with Amorim – understandably so!

If we’re to take Sepulveda’s latest report with anything other than a pinch of salt, however, it’s encouraging to see witness some serious movement on this front.

We know patience is going to be the name of the game with any candidate who steps in after Klopp.

But how reassuring would it be to know that one of the top options available will potentially take over?

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post ‘Final negotiations’: Next Liverpool manager closing in on Anfield move; agent bought apartment appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Micah Richards has shared his thoughts on Ruben Amorim amid the 39-year-old’s links with the Liverpool manager’s job.

Discussions are reportedly underway about the potential appointment of the Sporting Lisbon boss as Jurgen Klopp’s successor, and he’s been given the seal of approval by the former Manchester City defender.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, the pundit said of Amorim: “I think the way he plays tactically he’d be good. In terms of could he be good for Liverpool? Definitely. He’s really intelligent. He plays attacking football. He has evolved as a manager as well because he was at Braga I think. He did okay there.

“The thing is though, can he do it in the Premier League so soon? That’s the one question mark you would have. I’ve heard Liverpool fans saying they would like him. They like his style of football, so you just never know.”

READ MORE: (Video) David James: Liverpool ‘did everything they needed to do’ to win against Palace

READ MORE: Analysis: Exploring the numbers and trends behind Liverpool’s shot conversion and xG this season

Although Richards cited Amorim’s lack of Premier League experience as a possible ‘question mark’, the Sporting manager has proven his worth on the European stage as well as in Portugal.

His side reached the Champions League knockout rounds two years ago and the Europa League quarter-finals last season, eliminating Arsenal from the latter, while he’s also overseen victory over Tottenham and a draw against Manchester City in that time.

In 207 matches in charge of the Lisbon club, they’ve scored 446 goals (2.15 per game), a testament to their prolific nature and penchant for attacking football, and their phenomental tally of 84 goals in the Portuguese top flight this term is 19 more than the next-best team in that regard.

Going from Sporting to Liverpool would be a step up for the 39-year-old, but the evidence of his managerial career so far suggests that he could be ready for such a move.

Two decades on from his compatriot Jose Mourinho announcing himself in the Premier Leauge in style, Amorim appears to have the qualities to do the same.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post ‘Definitely’ – Micah Richards says ‘really intelligent’ manager could be perfect for Liverpool appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool are keen on making Ruben Amorim their next manager after Xabi Alonso opted to stay put with Bayer Leverkusen.

The good news for the Reds is that it very much appears the feeling is mutual for the Portuguese head coach.

Dean Jones now reports that talks with the 39-year-old are going relatively smoothly and that the next round of talks is expected to occur as soon as the Merseysiders’ ‘contact with Sporting becomes active’.

“I do think there is confidence in finding an agreement over making Amorim their manager, but there has always been an acceptance that it would not be sorted out fast,” the journalist told GIVEMESPORT.

Sporting Lisbon restored their seven-point buffer over Benfica with a 1-0 win over Famalicao yesterday.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: What Bellingham is now saying about pre-Real Madrid ‘conversations’; likely with Liverpool

READ MORE: Andy Robertson spots Liverpool crowd’s telling behaviour during Palace shocker

Next Liverpool manager: Ruben Amorim to Anfield?

It seems a matter of time before Amorim trades his green armband for the red of Liverpool.

The former Braga boss did appear to allude to the possibility of following in Alonso’s footsteps and extending his stay in Portugal.

In our mind, however, this is merely talk designed to cut short the ongoing questions over his future.

Should Amorim pick up a second league title this term… what else is left to achieve in the Primeira Liga?

If not Amorim, then who?

Former FC Bayern boss Niko Kovac is the latest surprising name to be linked with Liverpool.

As Neil Jones made clear in his latest column with EOTK Insider, however, this very much seems like agent talk.

Admittedly, if Amorim does say ‘no’ to the opportunity at Anfield this summer, it leaves us in something of a pickle.

The Portuguese coach does seem the least problematic of the remaining candidates on paper.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Niko Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? Summer contract calls, Crystal Palace review and much more!

The post Journalist hearing Liverpool about to move to ‘next stage of talks’ with managerial candidate appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

This article was originally published on EOTK Insider, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Neil Jones’s exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on empireofthekop.com, please sign-up for the service here: empireofthekop.substack

Hello and welcome to my column with Empire of the Kop! You can read about all the latest updates around Liverpool Football Club and its forays into the transfer market right here, every week, with EOTK Insider. Thanks for giving this a read and let us know your thoughts in the comments!

Today’s top stories:

• What life without Ruben Amorim might look like…
• Could Niko Kovac be the next Liverpool manager?
• And further updates on Luis Diaz, Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and more!

Crystal Palace review

There were a couple of familiar themes at play again against Crystal Palace. A slow start and wastefulness cost Liverpool, the latter in the second half in particular! It is strange, isn’t it, because I don’t think Liverpool played well, and even if they’d come away from the game with a 2-1 win, I would have said, ‘Wow, that was a tough one, they sort of got away with one a little bit,’ or ‘they’ve had to dig deep for that one’. They still created a lot of chances. I saw an Instagram post this morning of two side-by-sides of Curtis Jones clean through and Diogo Jota on the six-yard box – how neither of those ended up in the net is beyond me! Then there’s the Mo Salah one at the end where you’re thinking, ‘That has to be a goal!’ Nunez had one earlier in the second-half as well, so there were four great, real chances in a match that, on another day, you might have ended up taking all four or two or three. At the same time, I think Liverpool were the architects of their own downfall.

I did some research and found that Liverpool have gone 1-0 down 15 times in the first 25 minutes of a game this season. Whilst we can always somewhat rely on Liverpool’s resilience and ability to figure games out, go in at half-time and make subs, and eventually win the game, the more times you go to the well, of course, the more you’re increasing the chance that one day the well will run dry. It looked like it might have run dry in the second-half against Manchester United, it looked like it ran dry against Atalanta on Thursday in the Europa League, and again on Sunday. It depends on your viewpoint, but the only saving grace is what happened to Arsenal on Sunday, or whether it makes you feel even worse about Liverpool’s result. When you look now, Liverpool had a chance to take complete control of the Premier League on Sunday in a home game against a team in the bottom half of the table. There will be a lot of regrets waking up on Monday morning but also a lot of resignation, not just amongst the fans, but I think a few of the players might feel that was the chance missed and there won’t be another one.

The emotional drain of having to be on a knife edge so often is an important factor. You look at all the great moments Liverpool have experienced this season and they have been knife-edge moments, haven’t they? You look at the Carabao Cup final victory, the great late win against Nottingham Forest and the roaring comeback at Newcastle. They’ve all been when Liverpool have been right up against it. It says a lot about the team’s resilience, character and quality that they’ve been able to do this so regularly. But when you get to this stage of the season, you want as quiet a life as possible; you want routine, you want the kind of result you see Manchester City get over Luton Town (5-1) on Saturday, where you have to exert yourself but not absolutely drain yourself physically, technically and emotionally. We know, of course, that Liverpool aren’t really that kind of team, but when they were for that period in 2019, that’s when they steamrolled the league, when they became that game-winning machine. What they’ve been this season is really, really rugged and resilient, not to mention consistently able to dig out these results.

Another thing that has to be mentioned, and it’s easy to forget, is the reality of this Liverpool side being a very new team. There are a lot of players here who are experiencing this for the first time – and not just the ones signed last summer! You look at the younger players that have come into the side and were around the great Liverpool sides under Jurgen Klopp but weren’t front and centre at the time. There are also those who haven’t been involved in a Premier League title challenge on an active basis like Darwin Nunez, Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Conor Bradley and the like. There’s a great deal of newness around this – and it’s not just those players who may have underperformed; you look at the experienced players like Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate who have had a couple of poor games. All this adds up to Liverpool potentially coming up short.

There was always the danger that they might. I thought there was a chance they could win the league and I was under the impression that if they won at Old Trafford the momentum could maybe carry Liverpool to the title, but there was always a chance Liverpool could come up short. I think a lot of people outside of Liverpool suspected their pedigree wasn’t quite as strong as Manchester City or even Arsenal. That said, there are still six games to go. You look at the league table and think, ‘If Arsenal can beat at home by Aston Villa, Manchester City could lose at Tottenham!’ Arsenal also have to play Tottenham, for what it’s worth, so there is the potential for twists and turns. The one worry that I have now, and the one worry that’s fair to have around Liverpool, is even if the other two slip up, you wonder if Liverpool are going to be faultless. I think they’ll have to be if they’re going to win the league and I’m just not sure whether they’re in the position at this moment in time to win the last six.

End-of-season decisions

There are a couple of big decisions to be made with contracts and Salah’s obviously one of the three that needs to be sorted. I’ve been on record as saying I would let him see out his contract and take out another year, but I don’t think Liverpool will. There’s obviously Trent Alexander-Arnold’s contract and I personally expect that to be sorted. I also expect Virgil van Dijk to get a new contract. In terms of the rest, if you look at the ones who aren’t coming to the end of their contract or who are in the mid-peak age, if you like, in their early to mid-20s – there are some decisions to be made here. Obviously, Luis Diaz has been linked with a move away from Liverpool quite recently and there was some talk about his contract. You make a case either way here; you could say a great offer would be too good to turn down and you could get a player comparable or at least as good or better than Diaz, or you can make the case that he’s been really good for Liverpool and carried them through a tough period of the season and he deserves to be treated as a star. That depends on your preference.

I think a lot of people might have a similar opinion about Darwin Nunez. I’m personally a big fan of his, but I suspect a number of people might get to a point where they think after two seasons, ‘Do we need to be brutal? Or does the team need to change in the way it’s set up to really get the best out of him?’ The centre-back position is definitely an area that needs another body, regardless of who the next manager is. Though, if the next manager plays with three centre-backs then, of course, that adds to it! I still think you’re in the same position with Ibou Konate when you signed him where, though he’s a really good player with serious potential, he misses too many games and you spend a lot of the season having to compensate for his absence.

I think all of the signings brought in last summer were brought in for the long-term, but there will be some who look at Ryan Gravenberch and want to see a lot more from him. What would happen if a bid came in for him? For me, there are no obvious ones where they’re flashing red on the dashboard, but there are a lot of ones you look at and wonder what might happen if £50m was slapped on the table for them. There are a few players at Liverpool at the moment where if £50m was on the table, there would be a split in terms of what you’d do with them, whether you’d sell or keep.

Ruben Amorim

I think Ruben Amorim has been very sensible in his comments to the press. They’re on the brink of winning the league, with a cup final also coming up. I think he’s in a position where he doesn’t want any further distractions. He’s already made it clear that he doesn’t want to engage in further talk over his future between now and the end of the season. That’s perfectly fair! We’ve spoken before about managers and who might succeed Jurgen Klopp, but it’s very easy to forget about the club or the fans that manager represents. They have to be fair to them and put them front and centre in this situation. It’s only right that whilst Sporting are in a position where they’ll have the perfect end to the season, he’s not dampening the flames or upsetting the apple cart by saying he’s dreaming of going to Liverpool. You don’t want to take away anything from what has been a magnificent season. There has to be a chance that he does decide he’s happy with his lot with Sporting, but it would be unlikely to me.

He’s a young manager and quite clearly an ambitious manager. You’ve seen some of the interviews he’s given and he’s spoken in the past about aiming high. He knows he’s in demand, doesn’t he? He’s fully aware that it’s not a deep pool of managers at this moment but there are a lot of clubs that are fishing in it. He know he’s going to have at least one good option, maybe more, this summer. I think he probably would leave Sporting this summer, but, like I say, he’s still got a job to do – and so do Liverpool! Sporting are four points clear of Benfica and in a really good position to win a league. I think he’s done the right thing by his club by cutting down those stories and making sure every press conference isn’t dominated by managerial talk.

Niko Kovac links to Liverpool

I saw the headline and it made more sense for his agents who have been sounding out Premier League clubs. That feels like an agent-led story to me. I don’t think Liverpool will be in the running for Niko Kovac. It will be someone with a lot more recent pedigree.

Where would Liverpool go without Amorim?

It would leave Liverpool in an imperfect situation with two of their least imperfect options – in Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim – gone. Whoever Liverpool appoint, it’s going to be a manager where you think, ‘I like this and this about him but there’s always this and there’s this issue’. You’re going to be in that position regardless, even if it is Amorim. What it does is it puts Liverpool in a position where there are probably more of the negative aspects to contend with in terms of any manager they subsequently bring in. Steven Gerrard, Julian Nagelsmann and Ange Postecoglou will probably be on that betting list, but even as I’m listing those options I’m almost mentally crossing them off. It would leave Liverpool with a really tough decision to make – not to suggest they don’t already have one! They have a situation where whoever comes in will have a very, very tough job on their hands. The other fly in the ointment is that there are a few other clubs in Europe, like Bayern Munich and Barcelona, that look like they’ll be searching for another manager. If not now, certainly in another month or two.

The post EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Kovac rumours, what if Amorim stays at Sporting? & more appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Ruben Amorim has been given a glowing character reference by one Premier League midfielder amid his ongoing links with Liverpool.

Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda claimed on Monday that the Sporting Lisbon boss is the only manager that the Anfield hierarchy want to take over from Jurgen Klopp, with negotiations believed to be underway with his agents.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

Fulham’s Joao Palhinha – who played under him at two clubs – is convinced that the 39-year-old would be a success on Merseyside.

The 29-year-old midfielder said of Amorim (via Fabrizio Romano): “If he signs for Liverpool, I have no doubt that people will like his personality. I believe he is a great option to replace Klopp. He’s used to dealing with pressure.”

João Palhinha on Amorim and #LFC links: “If he signs for Liverpool, I have no doubt that people will like his personality. I believe he is a great option to replace Klopp”.

“He's used to dealing with pressure”. pic.twitter.com/Cv3VYJIUoK

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) April 15, 2024

READ MORE: (Video) Jamie Carragher analyses why ‘chaotic’ Liverpool risk missing out on Premier League title

READ MORE: (Video) ‘Huge problem…’ – Sky pundits highlight alarming stat which has beset Liverpool recently

Amorim could be a two-time Portuguese league champion by the time he (maybe) arrives at Liverpool, having won the title with Sporting in 2021 – their first in 19 years – and being on course to do so again over the coming weeks.

That trophy-winning nous is a quality which could well distinguish him from other rumoured candidates such as Roberto De Zerbi, and it also helps that he carries himself with grace and charm.

In addition to Palhinha’s comments, a feature in this month’s edition of World Soccer magazine described him as a ‘consummate media performer’ who’s ‘jovial, eloquent and good to listen to’, highlighting the contrast between him and more combustible peers such as Jose Mourinho and Sergio Conceicao.

As the Fulham midfielder also referenced, Amorim has proven himself at a club in Sporting where the pressure to compete for league titles on an annual basis is intense, which should stand as ideal preparation for taking over at a club of Liverpool’s expectations.

That blend of trophy-winning experience and amicable personality could have Reds fans clamouring for him to take over from Klopp, who also boasts those traits in abundance.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

The post ‘I have no doubt…’ – Liverpool fans could be clamouring for Amorim after 29y/o’s endorsement appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

According to one European journalist, Liverpool now have only one candidate in mind to replace Jurgen Klopp as manager.

It’s nearly three months since the German announced that he’d be leaving at the end of this season, with plenty of speculation in the meantime as to who’ll take over from him.

Portuguese reporter Pedro Sepulveda took to social media on Monday afternoon to share his latest information on Ruben Amorim, the Sporting Lisbon boss who’s currently the firm favourite for the job at Anfield.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

The journalist tweeted: “Rúben Amorim is the only name on Liverpool’s table to be the next coach, today. All the others are fake news and aim to divert attention from the negotiations taking place with Amorim’s agent. Still no contacts with @SportingCP.”

Rúben Amorim is the only name on Liverpool's table to be the next coach, today. All the others are fake news and aim to divert attention from the negotiations taking place with Amorim's agent. Still no contacts with @SportingCP . pic.twitter.com/ZLqFvQtFFt

— Pedro Sepúlveda (@pedromsepulveda) April 15, 2024

READ MORE: (Video) ‘Have to play…’ – Ex-Spurs player urges £30m Liverpool ace to consider leaving Anfield

READ MORE: ‘Go for broke…’ – Podcast duo divided over Liverpool dilemma facing Jurgen Klopp this week

While journalists such as Sepulveda and Pete O’Rourke have cited Amorim as the clear favourite to take over at Liverpool, the 39-year-old moved quickly to shoot down rumours that he’d met with Anfield chiefs and has already agreed to replace Klopp.

It seems unlikely that Michael Edwards, Richard Hughes and co wouldn’t have made some moves behind the scenes regarding managerial candidates, now that the season is just five weeks from ending, although they may be tactful in not approaching managers directly during the run-in to the campaign.

The Sporting boss still has plenty on the line, with his side striving to win a second league title in four years, so any discussions for now could indeed be solely between LFC and his representatives.

At the moment it seems very much as if Amorim is the frontrunner and could be in charge of Liverpool next season, but it could take another few weeks for a discernible breakthrough to materialise, with the Anfield hierarchy likely to be careful not to disrupt him or his club during such a pivotal period.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

The post Journalist shares his latest info on Liverpool ‘negotiations’ for Anfield managerial candidate appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

One reliable journalist has claimed that Liverpool have ‘two leading candidates’ when it comes to appointing their next manager.

The Reds are continuing to seek out the right successor to Jurgen Klopp, although some pundits have claimed that Michael Edwards and co have internally made up their mind already.

Speaking to ESPN FC, Mark Ogden hinted that the Anfield hierarchy have narrowed down their search to a couple of names who’ve been linked heavily with the role in recent weeks, with one of those appearing to have a narrow advantage.

He outlined: “What I’ve been told is that Ruben Amorim and Roberto De Zerbi are the two leading candidates. There were some suggestions last week that De Zerbi had kind of fallen down the list a little bit.

“I’m told that isn’t the case, but Amorim is the guy that probably shades the preference in the sense that he’s managing a big club already. He’s won a title and it looks like he’s gonna win another title, so his pedigree in the sense of managing a big club is established.

“De Zerbi hasn’t quite done that yet, and I think that would be a little bit of a hesitation. Can he handle the intensity of managing Liverpool? I suppose he could, but the benefit that De Zerbi has is that he knows the Premier League. He’s managed in the Premier League for a season and a half.”

As Ogden has highlighted, Amorim’s title-winning pedigree in Portugal could give him the edge over De Zerbi when it comes to Liverpool making their final decision on their next manager.

There are still hurdles to clear in terms of stumping up for his release clause and persuading him to take the job if indeed he’s their preferred candidate, but hopefully the Anfield hierarchy will end up getting whoever their first-choice option might be.

You can view Ogden’s comments in full below, via ESPN UK on YouTube:

The post (Video) ‘I’m told…’ – Journalist hints at Liverpool’s ‘preference’ in new manager search appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool fans have seen Xabi Alonso rule himself out the race and now Ruben Amorim seems keen to also distance himself from the job.

Speaking via Record in Portugal (translated), the 39-year-old said: “I don’t feel like my time [at Sporting] is over; I feel motivated.”

READ MORE: (Video) Stefan Bajcetic highlights as he makes long awaited injury comeback

It’s something that Sporting Lisbon fans will probably enjoy hearing, especially as they are in the hunt for a league title in this campaign.

One thing that is for sure though is that speculation around his (and Jurgen Klopp’s) future is not beneficial for short-term success.

You can watch Amorim’s comments via Record:

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

The post (Video) Amorim makes another Sporting statement; doesn’t want to leave appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Paul Merson has called to question whether Roberto De Zerbi would be a good fit as Liverpool’s next manager.

The former Arsenal footballer was comparatively more complimentary about Sporting Lisbon’s Ruben Amorim, whom he feels is the more likely candidate to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield.

“As for Roberto De Zerbi, I think teams have caught on with the way Brighton play,” the Sky Sports pundit wrote for Sportskeeda.

“I’d have been surprised if he got the Liverpool job, they need someone who is winning football matches week in and week out at the top level. If Liverpool drop points, there will be headlines in the newspapers.

“Ruben Amorim on the other hand – I can see that. What he’s doing with Sporting is outstanding, he’s working under severe pressure and delivering. I don’t think that’s the case with De Zerbi. He’s still a good manager but I don’t think he’s ready for a massive club yet.”

The Primeira Liga outfit took themselves seven points clear of nearest rivals Benfica with a convincing 4-0 win over Gil Vicente.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: Fans may have missed journalist’s breaking Liverpool announcement yesterday

READ MORE: Carragher knows exactly what Liverpool should do after humbling Atalanta loss

What has Amorim since said about his future?

There are now serious questions over whether the 39-year-old will indeed be the man to replace the outbound Liverpool boss this summer.

The former Braga boss will have raised eyebrows in the our recruitment team after admitting to reporters that he doesn’t feel his cycle with Sporting is over.

Whether we take this at total face value or an invitation to make a better offer behind the scenes – assuming we’re hard at work behind the scenes with Amorim’s entourage – remains to be seen.

It’s yet another potential managerial blow – and one we perhaps didn’t anticipate facing so close to the end of the season.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

The post No: Liverpool told ideal managerial candidate probably won’t join them now appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

It’s no secret that Liverpool are strongly linked with Ruben Amorim possibly becoming our new manager and supporters from his current club have responded to these rumours.

In an away match against Gil Vicente, the travelling Sporting Lisbon fans unveiled a banner that read (translated): ‘#StayAmorim’ three times.

READ MORE: (Video) Danns scores ridiculous backheel at Old Trafford; too good for U21s

It’s a clear message from the Portuguese side that they don’t want to lose a manager that is hotly tipped with a move to Anfield this summer.

It seems safe to say that there’s going to be plenty of rumours in the coming weeks and months, let’s hope it doesn’t distract from any on-field matters in the meantime though.

You can view the image of the Sporting fans message to Amorim courtesy of Sport.tv (via @AnfieldSector on X):

Sporting CP fans with a "Stay Amorim" banner. pic.twitter.com/7fwQD3trqv

— Anfield Sector (@AnfieldSector) April 12, 2024

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

The post (Image) Liverpool fans will be interested to see message Sporting fans sent to Amorim appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool have reportedly reached an ‘advanced’ stage in talks with Ruben Amorim ahead of Jurgen Klopp’s planned departure this summer.

Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke reported that the Portuguese coach ‘is the red-hot favourite’ to follow in the 56-year-old’s footsteps at Anfield.

The Merseysiders have allegedly sorted an agreement ‘in principle’, following Florian Plettenberg’s prior assertion that a verbal agreement had been similarly arranged.

“Liverpool are making headway in the search for Jurgen Klopp’s replacement,” the journalist spoke on the Inside Track podcast.

“Amorim is the red-hot favourite to replace the German in the dugout at Anfield.

“Talks are ongoing with Liverpool and his agent and a deal has been agreed in principle.

“It looks like he will make that move to the Premier League in the summer.”

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘Perfect fit’: Liverpool told 39-y/o manager would ‘tick all the boxes’ for them

READ MORE: Manchester City could cede title to Liverpool or Arsenal after 27-y/o’s alarming statement

Next Liverpool manager: Amorim at the head of the queue

The former Braga boss made clear in a recent press conference that he’d yet to hold a meeting with us.

How to interpret the 39-year-old’s comments is the question. Amorim didn’t rule out intermediaries acting on his behalf, as you might expect him to whilst his Sporting Lisbon side push for a second title win in four seasons.

It remains to be seen whether we can get this managerial signing over the line, though the common perception does seem to be that the ex-Benfica footballer is well-admired on the red half of Merseyside.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

The post ‘Red-hot’: Transfer insider dropped a bombshell on Liverpool manager search – report appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Ruben Amorim is the most hotly tipped candidate at present for the Liverpool job and he’s responded to rumours around possibly leaving Portugal.

Speaking with the press, the 39-year-old said: “I did not meet Liverpool for any interview and there’s no agreement, it’s not true.

“I’m Sporting manager, I want to win here and I didn’t meet any club. Nothing has been agreed. Stop with this story. This is the last time I speak about my future.”

READ MORE: (Video) “I just don’t understand”: Klopp reacts to backlash to Liverpool changing fortunes

It was a clear message from the Sporting Lisbon boss that he doesn’t want these stories to continue, as the former Braga man is in the hunt for a league title of his own.

With the business end of the season being upon us, it’s time for everyone to focus on the here and now.

You can watch Amorim’s comments via @B24PT and read the quotes via @FabrizioRomano on X:

“I did NOT meet Liverpool for any interview and there’s no agreement, it’s not true”.

“I’m Sporting manager, I want to win here and I didn’t meet any club. Nothing has been agreed”.

“Stop with this story. This is the last time I speak about my future”pic.twitter.com/7uTSOf4JDz

— Empire of the Kop (@empireofthekop) April 11, 2024

EOTK Insider with Jan Age Fjortoft: Why Alonso said no to LFC, who will replace Klopp now? The PL winners will be…

The post (Video) ‘I want…’: Amorim sends clear message about Liverpool managerial role appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Liverpool have been told that Ruben Amorim ‘ticks all the boxes’ for them as a managerial successor for Jurgen Klopp.

The Portuguese head coach has been heavily linked with the soon-to-be-vacant role at Anfield ahead of the 56-year-old’s impending end-of-season departure.

“Amorim ticks all the boxes for Liverpool but I also think that Liverpool ticks all the boxes for him,” football analyst Zach Lowy told RedmenTV.

“His ambition, his competitive mindset… and if he does end up joining Liverpool, I have no doubt he would be a success.”

Rúben Amorim is the perfect fit for Liverpool’s vacant manager position. https://t.co/pIuQ2peStW

— Zach Lowy (@ZachLowy) April 10, 2024

Florian Plettenberg of Sky Germany has repeatedly suggested that talks are moving in the right direction, with the latest claim being that the 39-year-old has informed Sporting’s president of the Reds’ interest.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: Manchester City could cede title to Liverpool or Arsenal after 27-y/o’s alarming statement

READ MORE: What Sky Sports journalist is now saying about Amorim & Liverpool should put fans on red alert

Sporting context

With the greatest of respect to Sporting, once Amorim has potentially secured the Primeira Liga for a second time in four years – what is left to accomplish?

As Lowy rightly points out, it’s unlikely that the Lisbon-based outfit will be able to seriously compete for major honours in Europe given their status in the footballing world.

With that in mind, it logically makes sense that the former Benfica star would be open to a fresh challenge with greater resources behind him.

He’d get that at Liverpool – the only question that remains is whether he wants to be the man to follow Jurgen Klopp.

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

The post ‘Perfect fit’: Liverpool told 39-y/o manager would ‘tick all the boxes’ for them appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Inevitably, football fans have scoured the internet for clips of Ruben Amorim amid the Portuguese head coach’s links to Liverpool.

The 39-year-old, it very much seems, still has some bite about him despite having hung up his playing boots in 2016.

In footage shared on X (formerly Twitter) by @chillhoggy, the Sporting Lisbon boss was seen telling FC Porto star Pepe exactly what he thought of him during the two sides’ meeting.

You can catch the clip below, courtesy of @chillhoggy:

Amorim calling Pepe a fraud. pic.twitter.com/s40CLSlxCh

— 𝕭𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖉𝖔𝖓 (@chillhoggy) April 9, 2024

The post (Video) Watch what Ruben Amorim did to Porto’s Pepe during intense Sporting clash appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.

Florian Plettenberg appears to have confirmed a recent update on Ruben Amorim’s future amid ongoing Liverpool links.

The renowned Sky Germany journalist tweeted ‘’ underneath @LFCTransferRoom’s tweet on X (formerly Twitter), relaying one claim from Renascenca.

The outlet asserted the Portuguese coach had informed Sporting’s president, Federico Varandas, about Liverpool’s interest in the interest of kickstarting the search for a potential successor.

— Florian Plettenberg (@Plettigoal) April 10, 2024

The German reporter had inspired a series of relative rebuttals from journalists in England and Portugal over his claim that the ex-Benfica star had made a ‘verbal agreement’ with the Merseysiders.

FOLLOW Empire of the Kop on Instagram (@empireofthekop) HERE

READ MORE: ‘Most complete’: Journalist says manager Liverpool now look set to sign is one of a kind

READ MORE: Liverpool just made early summer transfer window decision amid Ruben Amorim pursuit

Liverpool’s next manager: Ruben Amorim to Anfield?

Sources close to Liverpool have indicated that the search is far from finalised, even if the 39-year-old is an appreciated quantity.

That said, it’s difficult to believe that the likes of Thiago Motta, Julian Nagelsmann and Michel Sanchez are more intriguing candidates than Amorim.

The Sporting coach fits the bill for everything you’d expect us to be looking for in a Jurgen Klopp replacement. He’s charismatic, tactically astute and capable of winning over a fanbase – even if the odds are against him!

He might find filling the German tactician’s shoes more challenging than convincing Sporting’s fanbase to fall in love with a former Benfica footballer, of course!

EOTK Insider with Neil Jones: Could a surprise candidate now replace Klopp? The search after Xabi Alonso, and much more!

The post What Sky Sports journalist is now saying about Amorim & Liverpool should put fans on red alert appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.