Next Liverpool manager: Sporting CP 'eye' Ruben Amorim replacement with highly-rated coach

Ruben Amorim has again played down speculation that he could become Liverpool's next manager.

The Sporting CP boss is now regarded as the frontrunner to succeed Jurgen Klopp in the Anfield hot seat at the end of the season. That's after ex-Reds midfielder Xabi Alonso decided he would remain at Bayer Leverkusen, having taken the club to the verge of being crowned Bundesliga champions for the first time.

Amorim has won three major trophies with Sporting and they are gunning for the Portuguese league and couple double this season. They face fierce rivals Benfica in the Tac de Portugal semi-final second leg tonight and hold a 2-1 aggregate lead.

And ahead of the encounter, Amorim has insisted he remains focused on Sporting and his players know that. He said: "No [impact], because that is also part of the players' lives. Everyone thinks a lot about them. If the players are involved with other clubs, perhaps. Not when it's the coach.

"The coach is Sporting's coach and they know they want to win titles for Sporting, just like me."

However, Sporting may well be building a contingency plan should Amorim leave at the end of the season. And The Times reports that the Lions have placed Anthony Barry on their list of potential replacements.

Barry is currently part of Thomas Tuchel's coaching staff at Bayern Munich. Tuchel leaves Bayern at the end of the campaign and Barry is also likely to depart.

The 37-year-old former Everton youth player started his coaching career at Wigan Athletic before being taken to Chelsea by then-manager Frank Lampard. It's at Stamford Bridge where the former Blue Coat School pupil linked up with Tuchel. Barry has also served as part of the Republic of Ireland and Belgium's respective coaching teams while he's now an assistant coach of Portugal.