Barcelona are ready to abandon their pursuit of Liverpool target Ruben Amorim and appoint club legend Rafa Marquez as their next manager, according to SPORT.
The Catalan giants had hoped to convince Xavi to make a U-turn on his decision to leave the club this summer but their shambolic Champions League exit to Paris Saint-German have thrown a wrench into those plans.
Xavi’s side suffered a 4-1 defeat to the Ligue 1 champions-elect which effectively sealed his fate and Barca are now primed to appoint Marquez as their new manager at the end of the season.
Marquez has been in charge of Barca’s B team for the past two seasons but has expressed a willingness to take the first team job.
That leaves Liverpool with less competition for Amorim, who’s on course to lead Sporting CP to their second league title win in four years under his leadership.
While the 39-year-old manager recently denied agreeing to succeed Jurgen Klopp at Anfield, speculation about his summer departure to a European giant persists.
Earlier reports suggest Barca saw Amorim as Xavi’s ideal replacement. However, with Marquez now in the picture, Liverpool have a clear path to securing their top managerial target.
Former defender Micah Richards believes Amorim could be a great fit for Liverpool, but has expressed concerns about whether he can make an immediate impact in the Premier League.
“In terms of ‘Could he be good for Liverpool?’ Definitely,” Richards said. “He is really intelligent, he plays attacking football. He’s evolved as a manager as well because he was at Braga as well.
“He did okay there. The thing is, though, can he do it in the Premier League so soon? That’s the one question mark you would have.
“I’ve heard Liverpool fans saying they would like him, they like his style of football. But you just never know.”
Despite Richards’ sentiment, Amorim appears to be Liverpool’s first choice after Xabi Alonso reaffirmed his commitment to Bayer Leverkusen and it remains to be seen if the Reds will act on their interest this summer.
