Ruben Amorim travelling to London for talks with West Ham on Monday was something of a bombshell moment. David Moyes had been half expected to leave the Hammers at the end of the season, and heavy defeat at the weekend made that likelier.
West Ham had been linked with Julen Lopetegui, and then after earlier claims of interest, Amorim was suddenly photographed getting on a private jet heading for London.
Liverpool had been the club linked most with Amorim and there’s various takes in Portugal and England over why that has cooled. The English slant is that the Reds have simply dropped their interest somewhat, whereas in Portugal it’s made clear money, a different kind of pressure – with taking over from Jurgen Klopp seen as an impossible battle, lifestyle and power could be key.
Tuesday’s edition of A Bola reports Raul Costa, Amorim’s agent, informed Liverpool about the trip to London, with it sounding like that was out of courtesy rather than any kind of pressure move.
A Bola also say West Ham first made an approach at the beginning of this month, and it’s become more concrete since then. Sporting having Tuesday and Wednesday off training allowed Amorim to travel without there being huge negative drama around it.
A Bola say West Ham are ‘betting all their chips on hiring the coach’, but they add ‘the Liverpool hypothesis remains open’ and ‘it is possible that Amorim could also soon meet with Liverpool’.
Ruben Amorim arrived back in Lisbon, at Humberto Delgado Airport, at about 1am today.
