Barcelona, the biggest team in La Liga, has conceded defeat and believes Ruben Amorim is headed to Liverpool.

Liverpool has received support in their quest to find the next manager to replace Jurgen Klopp.

Ruben Amorim’s appointment to Liverpool this summer appears certain, since Barcelona is said to have lost interest in the Sporting boss. Due in part to the high cost of his services, the Catalan giants have moved on to other candidates to succeed departing manager Xavi.

This summer, Liverpool and Barcelona find themselves in a similar situation as they must replace two well-liked departing managers. As club star Xavi takes a well-earned break and Jurgen Klopp draws a line under nine years on Merseyside, whomever takes the helm at Anfield or in Catalonia will have enormous shoes to fill.

Both clubs were rumoured to be considering highly regarded head coach Amorim. But Barca are looking for a manager with a reasonable release clause and top-tier expertise.

Amorim doesn’t belong in any of the groups. An interested party would have to pay £12.8 million for his Sporting contract, making him one of the most costly managerial hires in history.

Sport claims that too many things are conspiring against Amorim, and that Deco, the sporting director, is now concentrating on other goals. According to the source, Barca think the Portuguese player is headed to Liverpool.

In his first season, Amorim guided Sporting to the league championship, and the Portuguese powerhouses are expected to do it again this year. With a game remaining, they lead Benfica by one point under the 39-year-old’s leadership.

This week, the likelihood of Liverpool appointing Amorim grew as word leaked out that Roberto De Zerbi had fallen further on the want list. It was originally thought that the Brighton manager’s outstanding job on the south coast was why the Reds were interested in him.

Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director, and Michael Edwards, the company’s CEO of football, are rumoured to be exploring other possibilities. The other big name in the running is Julian Nagelsmann, but it’s said that Bayern Munich is interested in both him and De Zerbi.

A unpleasant diversion occurred in Liverpool’s search for a new manager last month when Xabi Alonso declared he would be staying at Bayer Leverkusen. The Spaniard, who played for Anfield for five years of his career, was the clear favourite to succeed Klopp, the manager has previously acknowledged.

In an attempt to cap off Klopp’s tenure at the club with a second league victory, the Reds are presently engaged in a fierce title fight with Manchester City and Arsenal.