It has been claimed that Rúben Amorim has a ‘verbal agreement’ to take over at Liverpool next season. If he does move to Anfield, what can the Reds expect from him?

Sporting CP manager Rúben Amorim could take over from Jürgen Klopp at Liverpool.

Liverpool supporters may find it difficult to contemplate Jürgen Klopp’s departure, but the reality is that his final matches at Anfield are drawing closer. In an ideal scenario for the Reds, Thursday’s Europa League quarter-final first leg could potentially be Klopp’s second-to-last European home game.

With Xabi Alonso publicly removing himself from contention, Sporting CP manager Rúben Amorim emerges as the frontrunner to succeed Klopp. At 39 years old, Amorim is poised to secure his second league title in Portugal this season and has garnered acclaim as one of the most promising young managerial talents in the industry.

Asked on Friday about his future, ahead of a 2-1 victory over title rival Benfica, Amorim refused to rule out a move away from Sporting amid ongoing interest from Liverpool. “I cannot make any guarantees,” he said about where he would be in the summer.

“If I don’t win trophies, I’m going to leave Sporting. That’s been very clear since the start. I felt it was important to get that across to the players because we have to win. We want to win trophies and we’ll decide on those things later.”

According to Sky Germany’s Florian Plettenberg, Liverpool has a ‘verbal agreement’ with Amorim. But what will things look like if Amorim takes over at Anfield? Liverpool.com has taken a look at four things we believe will ‘definitely’ happen if the Reds replace Klopp with the Sporting boss.

Formation decision

Currently, Amorim appears committed to employing a back three formation. However, would this strategy be suitable for Liverpool? Not necessarily. A decision would have to be made, considering that the Reds’ existing squad seems better suited to maintaining a 4-3-3 formation. Shifting away from this setup would necessitate additional center-backs and raise concerns about the midfielders.

It’s imperative to integrate players like Harvey Elliott and Dominik Szoboszlai into the team, but their fit within a 3-4-3 system may not be ideal unless they are deployed in the forward line. Should this occur, questions would arise regarding the roles of Mohamed Salah and Luis Díaz, who excel on the wings. While structuring the team around a back four seems sensible, Amorim would ultimately need to make the decision.

Liverpool style of play

The notion of Klopp’s Liverpool playing a ‘heavy metal’ style of football has long been outdated, with the Reds now emphasizing dominance over frenetic energy, a shift evident since the German’s initial tenure. However, this style aligns closely with Amorim’s expertise, and it appears to be the direction favored in the Premier League, especially with Manchester City and Arsenal excelling in that regard.

The strategy revolves around stifling opponents through a combination of possession and pressing. Liverpool has already adopted elements of this approach in recent years, but Amorim would likely further emphasize this shift. It’s an exciting and attacking style, reminiscent of Pep Guardiola’s approach.

Sporting CP players linked with transfers

It’s inevitable that Liverpool will be linked with players from Amorim’s former club, much like when Klopp first arrived and there was speculation that Borussia Dortmund stars like Marco Reus would follow him. However, history showed that Klopp didn’t sign any players from Dortmund, despite his interest in Jude Bellingham.

At Sporting, players like Viktor Gyökeres, Pedro Gonçalves, Morten Hjulmand, Ousmane Diomande, and Gonçalo Inácio are likely to be linked with moves to Anfield. However, Liverpool wouldn’t sign any of them solely based on their connection with Amorim.

Xabi Alonso comparisons inevitable

While it appears highly probable that Amorim will become the new manager of Liverpool, we can confirm that Xabi Alonso will not be succeeding Klopp at Anfield. Despite being an initial frontrunner, the Spaniard has since removed himself from consideration.

Comparisons with Alonso, however, are unavoidable. Many Liverpool fans had pinned their hopes on the idea of the former Reds midfielder taking charge. If he continues to achieve success with Bayer Leverkusen, there will undoubtedly be discussions about missed opportunities.

Regardless of who ultimately takes the helm at Liverpool—whether it’s Amorim or someone else—they will inevitably be measured against Alonso. However, this doesn’t necessarily have to be viewed negatively. It’s worth noting that Liverpool is more likely to maintain its current level of performance next season compared to Leverkusen.