Sporting Lisbon manager Ruben Amorim has strongly denied speculation that he has reached an agreement to become the next head coach of Liverpool.
Contrasting reports have emerged regarding Amorim's future beyond the end of this season in the past week, with some suggesting that a verbal agreement had been reached between the 39-year-old and Liverpool.
More recently, it was claimed that no such deal had been struck yet, despite Amorim emerging as the Premier League club's top target to replace long-serving boss Jurgen Klopp when the German leaves at the end of the current campaign.
Liverpool are understood to be willing to offer Amorim a three-year deal at Anfield, having been impressed with his work in the Portuguese capital over the last four years.
However, the former Portugal international midfielder has hit out at the ongoing speculation and insists that he is yet to hold talks or reach an agreement with any club.
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Liverpool target Amorim shuts down speculation over future
Amorim's Sporting side are in the midst of another title battle in the Primeira Liga, currently sitting four points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand over second-placed Benfica.
Unsurprisingly, he is therefore keen to keep his focus on the run-in to ensure that he picks up a second league title in the space of four seasons.
"It's the last time I'm going to talk about my future. There was no interview, much less an agreement. The only thing we all want is to be champions with Sporting, and nothing will change," Amorim told reporters at a press conference.
"I'm a Sporting coach. There was no interview with any club, there was no agreement with any club. I'm just focused, as always, on defending my club.
"As I no longer have anything else to say, there will be no interviews or agreements with the Sporting coach. This matter is completely resolved, whether for this club or another."
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Both Liverpool and Sporting keen to avoid distractions in pursuit of trophies
Between them, Amorim's current club Sporting and his rumoured future club Liverpool could still win as many as five trophies this season; one of those is already in the bag courtesy of Liverpool's EFL Cup glory.
Klopp's farewell season could yet still see him add another Premier League title and first-ever Europa League crown to his trophy cabinet, with the latter being the only piece of silverware he is yet to get his hands on as Liverpool boss.
The Merseysiders are embroiled in a thrilling three-way tussle for the Premier League this season and currently sit second in the table between Arsenal and Manchester City, with just one point separating the top three.
The Reds will also take on Atalanta BC in the first leg of their Europa League quarter-final on Thursday evening.
Sporting, meanwhile, have already qualified for the Taca da Liga final and are well placed to regain the Primeira Liga title following last weekend's crucial 2-1 win over closest rivals Benfica.
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That result opened up a four-point lead at the top with seven games of their season remaining, as Amorim looks for a second league title of his tenure having ended the club's 19-year wait to be crowned Portuguese champions in 2020-21.
All parties will be desperate to keep focus on the pitch in pursuit of those trophies, and for Liverpool any off-field matters would ideally be centred on giving Klopp the farewell he deserves, rather than on who might replace him.
Amorim is the clear front-runner for the post now after both Xabi Alonso and Roberto De Zerbi fell out of contention, but his comments are a clear attempt to park the subject potentially until the end of the season.
Liverpool will already be looking ahead to next season and will want to get plans in place as soon as possible, though, and even with Amorim's firm assertion that he will not speak about his future again, the speculation is unlikely to go away until there is official confirmation either way.
These comments are unlikely to be enough for Liverpool to turn their attentions to other candidates, but they do indicate that a deal is not necessarily as close as many Liverpool fans had hoped.
Barney Corkhill
