Barcelona 'racing' to steal Ruben Amorim from under Liverpool's nose after shock Xabi Alonso announcement sparks scramble for Sporting CP manager's services

Competition to bring in Amorim is heating up. The Sporting manager is seen as the ideal replacement for Xavi at Barcelona, with The Independentreporting that the Catalan club are hoping to snatch the 39-year-old off the market before other major clubs can strike.

Amorim appeared to be a backup option for the Reds, who had Alonso at the top of their list after Jurgen Klopp announced his intention to depart at the end of this season. But with the Bayer Leverkusen manager set to stay in Germany for at least one more year, Liverpool have been forced to turn elsewhere; and Amorim is among their top targets.

In a press conference, the Sporting manager was noncommittal on his future when quizzed on Liverpool's interest: "I'm focused on Sporting. I'm very proud to be Sporting's coach. We're all focused on winning titles, but in the end, we'll soon see what happens... I have a contract with Sporting, I'm very happy here. The focus is now on beating Benfica in the cup."

The Blaugrana seem to face a tricky summer. Although they are reportedly attempting to convince Xavi to stay, the Catalan manager has shown little interest in reversing his decision. Their next game is a high-profile Champions League clash with PSG on April 10.