'I'm NOT meeting with Liverpool': Ruben Amorim, Reds' No 1 target to replace Jurgen Klopp, aggressively denies he's had an interview - and says NOTHING will change as he chases Sporting Lisbon title

Ruben Amorim has distanced himself from the Liverpool job after making a passionate rant during a press conference on Thursday.

The Reds are seeking a successor to Jurgen Klopp, who will end his nine-year reign on Merseyside at the end of the year, and had landed on the Sporting Lisbon boss.

They'd initially sounded out Bayer Leverkusen's Xabi Alonso but the Spaniard insisted that his future remains in Germany, leading the Reds to turn to Amorim.

Reports emerged this week that claimed the Sporting manager had agreed a deal with the Merseyside giants however he's now come forward to refute those reports. 

Speaking at https://twitter.com/AnfieldFootball/status/1778387469278298497 on Thursday, he said 'To end everything around, this is the last time I talk about my future. 

Sporting Lisbon boss Ruben Amorim has distanced himself from the Liverpool job after launching a passionate rant during a press conference on Thursday

'There was no interview, much less an agreement [with Liverpool]. The only thing we all want here is to be champions for Sporting, and nothing will change. 

'I'll say it again: I'm Sporting's coach. There was no interview with any club, no agreement with any club. I am focused, as always, on defending my club. 

'And since I really have nothing to say: there will be no interviews or agreements with the Sporting coach. The deal is done, whether for this club or another.'

Earlier in the week, reports from CNN, via O Jogo, claimed the Reds had made initial contact with the 39-year-old manager and his representatives to 'assess the possibility of him leading the team next season'. 

O Jogo added that Amorim 'wants to take a step forward in his career' and that he would 'not think twice' about interest from 'one of the biggest clubs in the world'.

His contract expires in 2026 and has a release clause of around £17m (€20m).

Meanwhile, a disputed report from Sky Germany claimed that a three-year deal has already been reached between Liverpool and Amorim.

Even if Liverpool haven't made contact with Amorim - one of the most sought-after coaches in Europe - he will not be short of admirers.  

Chelsea are long term admirers of Amorim but have distanced themselves from a summer move for the highly-rated coach amid doubts over the future of Mauricio Pochettino; while Manchester United may look be looking for a new manager amid uncertainty over INEOS' commitment to Erik ten Hag. 

Meanwhile, Barcelona are also on the look out for a new boss with club legend Xavi leaving the Nou Camp, while Bayern Munich, who also wanted to appoint Alonso, are identifying replacements for the outgoing Thomas Tuchel. 

In a bombshell announcement of the news in January, Klopp said he was 'running out of energy' following nearly a decade in the role and needed a break from football. 

'I will leave the club at the end of the season,' he said. 'I can understand that it's a shock for a lot of people in this moment, when you hear it for the first time, but obviously I can explain it – or at least try to explain it. 

'It is that I am, how can I say it, running out of energy. I have no problem now, obviously, I knew it already for longer that I will have to announce it at one point, but I am absolutely fine now. I know that I cannot do the job again and again and again and again.'