Manchester, England –
The most important business could be off the field in the off-season as Liverpool try to sign key players in their bid to once again fight for the top spot in the Premier League.
The Merseyside club are looking for a new sporting director for the third time in three years as Julian Ward steps down at the end of the season, just 12 months after replacing his predecessor Michael Edwards.
The sporting director’s role has become more important in English football in recent years as a pivotal figure in determining transfer strategy.
Few teams have achieved as much success as Liverpool during a period when manager Jürgen Klopp won all the major trophies and reached three Champions League finals.
Edwards’ market expertise was seen as the basis for these achievements, with the signings of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson that changed the team’s fortunes.
Ward stood in for him last year before taking over the top job, but made the surprise decision to step down at the end of the season in November.
Klopp hopes to address the team’s problem areas that have contributed to the team’s dramatic decline this season, while Liverpool need to fill key positions.
Klopp said of Ward’s search for a successor: “I’m not the person in the club who can give a real answer as to where the club stands. All told, everything is going in the right direction.
“I’m happy with this structure. The man or woman we get would be absolutely right, but there’s nothing to say at this point.”
Overtaken by Arsenal, Newcastle and Manchester United this season, Liverpool will have to fare well in the transfer window this summer.
Klopp’s side, which came close to winning an unprecedented four trophies last year, looks set to miss Champions League qualification.
How did the Germans get such exciting players as those recruited under Edwards?
It took at least one new addition to bring energy to the heart of the team.
Liverpool have reportedly decided to pull out of the expected Jude Bellingham transfer, identifying a significantly cheaper alternative than the estimated $150m required to sign the Borussia Dortmund star. It means that you have to
Klopp spoke earlier this month about the need to work within budget. This is something Liverpool have done quite impressively in the face of the exorbitant spending of Manchester City, which is under Abu Dhabi’s royal ownership.
Liverpool’s American owners, Fenway Sports Group, have spent record amounts on players such as Van Dijk ($100 million) and Alisson ($84.5 million), but the club’s success has been key to Edwards. rooted in how clever they were at discerning the talents that were part of them. ‘ role. Over the last five years there have been very few transfer errors. This is crucial in facing City given his defending Premier League champions spending power.
By comparison, Manchester United have made a number of costly errors in their attempt to challenge City, with star signings such as Paul Pogba, Romelu Lukaku and Alexis Sanchez all failing to live up to expectations. yeah.
At Liverpool, it was the opposite, with Salah establishing himself as one of the best strikers in the world after failing at Chelsea.
Sadio Mane from Southampton was impressive and Andy Robertson was a bargain from Hull.
These are the standards that Liverpool’s next sporting director must adhere to as the club aims to curb this season’s slump in less than a year.
Liverpool can’t afford to make a mistake as Klopp transitions an aging squad and reorganizes what has been one of Europe’s deadliest attacks.
