Liverpool are moving into the final stages of their search to appoint a successor to Jurgen Klopp.
The Reds have been on the lookout for the right candidate to take over from Klopp for the past three months.
Over that time, the favourite for the job at Anfield has ebbed and flowed a little. However, after Xabi Alonso was ruled out last month, Ruben Amorim had seemed like a pretty good bet.
The 39-year-old was reportedly nailed on for an interview at the very least as he looks set to guide Sporting to a second Portuguese title in four years.
However, somewhere along the line things took a turn for Amorim. Arne Slot emerged as the front-runner on Tuesday and Liverpool are now pushing to agree a deal with Feyenoord. This has all left many wondering just what happened with Amorim. Well, that has hopefully now been cleared up.
What happened with Ruben Amorim and Liverpool
The first sign that Amorim may not be the man Liverpool wanted to replace Klopp came on Monday.
After news that the Sporting boss was flying to England emerged, it seemed as though he was likely meeting with the Reds.
However, it was later revealed that Amorim was speaking to West Ham, not Liverpool. It was not long after that Slot’s name began to gain traction.
In the day’s since, the Dutchman has become almost certain to take the job. And according to Portuguese journalist Pedro Sepulveda, Liverpool’s reluctance to go with Amorim was solely down to his wage demands.
“LFC informed Ruben’s Amorim agent that they will not pay £10 million net per year and the Portuguese coach doesn’t want to accept less than that,” Sepulveda writes on X.
“The deal can collapse. The next days will be decisive. No chance to go to West Ham.”
Is there still a chance for Ruben Amorim
Even if Liverpool can’t work out something with Feyenoord for Slot, it seems unlikely that Amorim would come back into the frame.
If this is indeed the way things panned out with the former Benfica midfielder, then it isn’t a good look for him at all.
Of course, he’s still an incredibly gifted coach who will land on his feet somewhere. But this was a big chance for him, and he blew it.
There is another side to this story though and that’s that Slot was always Liverpool’s first choice. Perhaps we’ll never know.
If it does go sideways for the Feyenoord manager, it would be interesting to see which way the Reds turn. With Thomas Frank reportedly interviewed though, we’ve an inkling FSG would go with him. No way back for Amorim.