The news that long-term Liverpool management target Ruben Amorim is in negotiations with West Ham United will come as a cruel and unexpected blow to the Reds.
With all due respect to the East Londoners, they lack the history and pedigree of the Anfield outfit, and Amorim’s attraction to them is an intriguing development.
It seems that the Hammers have something up their sleeve that could surprise the rest of the Premier League, as there is no compelling reason why the 39-year-old would opt to travel south.
In any case, it looks like Liverpool is moving rapidly to evaluate other applicants for the role, and one unexpected name has emerged.
Liverpool looks at Thomas Frank.
According to TeamTalk, Brentford manager Thomas Frank is being seriously considered as a backup option for Amorim if the latter decides to relocate to the London Stadium.
The Dane has demonstrated his abilities as a men’s manager as well as a superb motivator and tactician; nonetheless, the Bees have battled relegation for the whole of the 2023/24 season, and may only rescue themselves conclusively with their weekend victory over Luton Town.
Whether he’d be capable of managing a locker room with much larger egos than he’s used to is debatable at this moment, but if Amorim decides West Ham is his next destination, Liverpool’s chase of Frank will accelerate.
Should such a move go through, and only if Mo Salah is permitted to leave the club, it will be intriguing to watch if Ivan Toney and other trusted players follow their manager up north.
For the time being, things look to be in their early phases, with nothing confirmed until Ruben Amorim’s status is defined.