With no guarantee Xabi Alonso will take the job at Liverpool, the candidate seen as second choice, Ruben Amorim, would require a “world-record fee.”
Alonso finds himself coveted by three of the biggest clubs in world football as Liverpool, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid all target the Spaniard.
Whether he even leaves Bayer Leverkusen this summer is up in the air, but it is fair to say that if he were to depart, it is not nailed on that he will end up at Anfield.
Liverpool are considering a number of candidates, with Brighton‘s Roberto De Zerbi being increasingly mentioned by journalists as a viable option.
Amorim, who is currently in charge of Primeira Liga leaders Sporting CP, is viewed as the leading alternative to Alonso, however.
The 39-year-old has “scored highly” in data tests led by director of research William Spearman, per the Mail‘s Lewis Steele, with FSG paying close attention to the numbers when it comes to Jurgen Klopp‘s successor.
But Liverpool’s owners should also be aware of the figure required to prise Amorim from Sporting, who “would demand a world-record fee in compensation.”
It is suggested that this would be as high as £25 million, which would eclipse the fees Bayern Munich and Chelsea paid for Julian Nagelsmann (£21.7m) and Graham Potter (£21.5m) respectively.
This would, of course, be a significant outlay for the club, particularly for a coach who, unlike Klopp in 2015, is not yet among the elite.
Realistically, it is unlikely that FSG would pay such a fee for a manager, which could cast doubt over Amorim’s chances of moving to Anfield.
It serves as another red flag among the various candidates on Liverpool’s shortlist, with Nagelsmann himself an option but one who could only join late in the summer due to his commitments with Germany.
De Zerbi’s difficult second season at Brighton could be a concern for FSG, too, though it is hardly the Italian’s fault resources were stretched after qualifying for the Europa League and selling key players such as Alexis Mac Allister.
If Liverpool were to focus their efforts on Amorim, the likelihood is that a more acceptable deal would be brokered with Sporting.
That could perhaps include a potential deal for a player, with Sporting centre-backs Ousmane Diomande and Goncalo Inacio known to be targets for the Reds.
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