Michael Edwards, Liverpool’s ex-sporting director, has agreed to rejoin the team to supervise the football operations once Jürgen Klopp departs. Recently, Edwards held talks with the top executives of Liverpool’s proprietors, the Fenway Sports Group (FSG), in Boston to flesh out his fresh role’s specifics. His confirmation to the position, possibly as the head of football operations, is imminent. Edwards had previously declined an offer from FSG to return to his former position in January.
One of Edwards’ first responsibilities will be to select a new sporting director, and the odds-on favourite is Richard Hughes, currently Bournemouth’s technical director. Another task will be to seek a replacement for Klopp as Liverpool’s manager. Among the prime contenders for that role is former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso, who has lead Bayer Leverkusen to the top of the Bundesliga.
FSG has been intent on rehiring Edwards, who departed Liverpool in 2022 after a decade of notable successes and has since rebuffed multiple offers from other clubs. He is presently serving as a consultant at Ludonautics, a sports advisory firm founded by Ian Graham, Liverpool’s previous director of research.
Recently, it was communicated by Bournemouth that Hughes is set to leave his post at the end of this season after spending ten years on their recruitment team. For the past eight years, Hughes has been leading the team as technical director and last summer was pivotal in Andoni Iraola’s appointment as head coach. Edwards and Hughes established their rapport when Hughes was a player for Portsmouth and Edwards worked as a performance analyst.
FSG has been on the hunt for a new sporting director since Julian Ward signified his departure in 2023. Jörg Schmadtke briefly took on the role to assist Klopp with the rebuilding of Liverpool’s midfield last summer before his exit at the close of the January transfer window.