The bargain fee Liverpool would have to pay Sporting CP to land Ruben Amorim after Xabi Alonso snub - revealed

A release clause in the Portuguese manager's contract means that, if Liverpool are to choose Amorim as the man to replace Jurgen Klopp at the end of the season, they can do so with relative ease. The Telegraph reports that Amorim can be allowed to leave the Portuguese capital for as little as €15 million (£13m/$16m) when a release clause becomes active in the summer, and that fee drops to €10m (£8.5m/$10.5m) the following season.

The cost of hiring the best managers, as with signing the best players, has been on a consistent rise in recent years. Bayern Munich broke a world record by paying €30m (£26.4m/$32.4m) to appoint RB Leipzig's Julian Nagelsmann in 2021, and Chelsea spent £21.5m ($27m) bringing Graham Potter to Stamford Bridge from Brighton the following year. By comparison, Amorim's fee looks like a snip.

Liverpool's first-choice to replace Klopp, Xabi Alonso, has turned down the opportunity to return to Anfield this summer by committing to stay another season at Bayer Leverkusen. The hotly-rated Spanish boss broke the hearts of Reds and Bayern Munich fans as he opted against leaving the potential Bundesliga champions.

Amorim will be avoiding any speculation as he focuses on leading Sporting CP to the Primeira Liga crown. His team lead Benfica by a point with a game in hand and look on course to win just their second title in 22 years.