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The search for a new coach continues for Liverpool, with Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim being the front-runner to take over. However, the Reds are likely to face tough competition from Barcelona, according to The Standard.
Per the report, the Blaugrana have emerged as strong candidates to hire Amorim as a replacement for Xavi, who has announced his decision to step down after the end of the season.
Ruben Amorim reportedly has an exit clause of €13 million, and the Reds can afford to pay it and hire him. On the other hand, the Catalans continue to deal with financial struggles and it remains unclear if they are willing to pay the fee for the Portuguese coach.
Liverpool have already activated their Plan B, after Xabi Alonso decided to stay with Bayer Leverkusen for at least one more year. Alonso was linked with Bayern Munich, but he will eventually stay with Leverkusen.
Per The Standard, Roberto De Zerbi (Brighton) and Simone Inzaghi (Inter Milan) are also on the coaching list to replace Jurgen Klopp, who will leave Anfield after nine years.
Ruben Amorim addresses Sporting Lisbon targeting potential replacements amid Liverpool links
Ruben Amorim is under contract with Sporting Lisbon, so any team interested will need to pay a fee to hire him. So far, the Portuguese coach has not provided any update on what his coaching future will be after the end of the 2023-24 season.
Still, he shared his displeasure with Sporting targeting potential replacements amid the Reds' interest in hiring him.
"The only thing that bothers me is that they already had a replacement for me, but today I told [sporting director Hugo] Viana to be calm and that's not the case. It was the only thing I paid attention to," he told The Record heading into the clash with rivals Benfica in the semi-final of the Portuguese Cup, via Liverpool.com.
As for the Reds, they have their sights set on the season finale in the Premier League and the three-team race with Arsenal and Manchester City. Three points separate the three English giants, with Liverpool being on top with 67 points.
