Liverpool move off? Ruben Amorim pursuit takes a surprising twist as West Ham open talks to hire Sporting CP manager despite links to replace Jurgen Klopp at Anfield

With current West Ham boss David Moyes out of contract this summer, the club are assessing options to replace him. The Athletic writes that no decision on Moyes will be made until the season finishes and contingency planning has seen Amorim emerge as the preferred candidate over the alternative, Julen Lopetegui.

Amorim has been heavily linked with Liverpool in recent weeks as a replacement for Jurgen Klopp, more so since Xabi Alonso stated his ongoing commitment to Bayer Leverkusen. However, The Athletic also reports it is now "unlikely" that Amorim will end up the preferred candidate in Liverpool's search. Reds fans were given the news last week that Amorim's agent, Raul Costa, bought an apartment in Liverpool for an employee to use, although he also represents existing player Luis Diaz.

Having spent much of playing career with Benfica, Amorim guided city rivals Sporting CP to their first Primeira Liga title in 19 years in 2020-21 - his first full season in charge. Sporting are on the brink of winning it again this season, sitting 10 points clear of Benifca in the current standings with only a few games left.

Two more wins from their last four fixtures will take Sporting mathematically out of Benfica's reach, sealing the Primeira League title for the second time in four years. It could even happen slightly sooner if Benfica drop points in any upcoming games. Amorim will then have a decision to make about whether he stays in Lisbon or moves on, depending on what offers are on the table. His only statement about his future is that he won't decide or speak definitively before the end of the season and his sole ambition right now is for Sporting to "become champions as quickly as possible".