Liverpool are seeking a speedy response from Michael Edwards after identifying him as the ‘option number one’ in their bid to appoint a new sporting director, and journalist Ben Jacobs has told GIVEMESPORT who will come into Fenway Sports Group’s plans if they fail to reach an Anfield agreement with their primary target.
Jorg Schmadtke sealed his Merseyside departure following the closure of the winter transfer window last month, having been handed a short-term contract to oversee the recruitment drive, and it has led to John W. Henry and other key figures scouring the market for a replacement ahead of being able to bolster the squad in the coming months.
Fenway Sports Group’s search for a new sporting director has come at the same time as looking for Jurgen Klopp’s successor as the German tactician has announced that he will step down as Liverpool’s boss at the end of the season due to ‘running out of energy’ during a trophy-laden spell at the helm.
Edwards unwilling to seal Anfield return without assurances
Edwards will not consider returning to Liverpool unless he is given total control of football operations, according to The Times, but Fenway Sports Group are preparing to make a final attempt to persuade him to become the Merseyside giants’ sporting director after he has already turned down an initial approach.
The report suggests that there have been no indications of the 44-year-old wanting to head back into football, having left Anfield in the summer of 2022, as he has rejected the advances of numerous clubs – including Chelsea – and it would have to take a major U-turn for him to decide to play a significant role in the post-Klopp era.
Liverpool stepped up their pursuit of Edwards by making contact with him in January, when Schmadtke had reached the final days of his stint, but he snubbed the opportunity to oversee the restructure of the club as he was not interested in heading back into familiar surroundings.
Although the negative response came as a blow to the Reds, Fenway Sports Group have refused to give up in their attempts to land Edwards, and respected reporter Jacobs recently told GIVEMESPORT that the Premier League leaders are ‘going to throw the kitchen sink’ at their priority target despite him indicating to Mike Gordon that he is not looking for a fresh challenge.
It is understood that Tottenham Hotspur’s former chief analyst left Anfield due to being frustrated with the amount of control that Klopp was given, but the ex-Borussia Dortmund chief’s impending exit means the situation could be different during the next regime.
Ben Jacobs – Fenway Sports Group are seeking speedy response from Edwards
Although Jacobs understands that Liverpool have pinpointed Edwards as their preferred candidate to succeed Schmadtke, he is aware that Fenway Sports Group are pushing for him to make a final decision over whether he is prepared to head back to Merseyside in the coming weeks.
The reputable journalist believes that Bournemouth technical director Richard Hughes has been earmarked as a potential back-up option, while Nice sporting director Florent Ghisolfi and former AC Milan sporting director Frederic Massara would also be in the frame to bag a crucial behind the scenes role.
Jacobs told GIVEMESPORT:
“Option number one is Michael Edwards, and I think Liverpool want an answer very quickly.
“They would have to, of course, make a formal offer. But I think, by early or mid-March, they will know the answer on the Edwards front. That is approach number one and, if the answer is yes, it’s up to Edwards.
“I think Richard Hughes will be among those on their list after Edwards. If Edwards turns the opportunity down, that is when Liverpool may look at Nice sporting director Florent Ghisolfi and Frederic Massara, who was most recently at AC Milan.”
