Liverpool Aim To Have A New Sporting Director In Place By The Conclusion Of March

Liverpool Aim To Have A New Sporting Director In Place By The Conclusion Of March

Reportedly, Liverpool are aiming to have a new sporting director in position by the end of March before intensifying their search for a new head coach. The Reds have been without a transfer expert since January, when former sporting director Jorg Schmadtke departed at the conclusion of the winter transfer window.

Schmadtke had assumed the role just the previous summer and played a pivotal role in Liverpool’s successful midfield reconstruction, facilitating the arrivals of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Wataru Endo, and Dominik Szoboszlai.

However, it was anticipated that the 59-year-old wouldn’t remain in his Anfield role for long, and his departure was confirmed by Liverpool last month, shortly after Klopp’s surprising announcement of departure.

While the club’s leadership is still evaluating candidates for the position of first-team manager, recruiting a new sporting director is currently seen as their top priority. This is because potential head coaches may be less inclined to join without a sporting director already in place.

As per The Athletic’s David Ornstein, Liverpool and their owners Fenway Sports Group are eager to finalize their evaluation of sporting director candidates by the end of March, by which time they hope to have identified a top contender.

Several individuals are thought to be under consideration, among them former AC Milan executive Ricky Massara, who served at San Siro from 2019 to 2023 before being placed on gardening leave.

Before his tenure at Milan, Massara held various administrative positions at Roma, and during his time as sporting director, Milan clinched the 2021-22 Serie A title.

Ornstein further notes that Florent Ghisolfi, a prominent figure in transfers at Nice, has garnered attention within Liverpool’s circles. However, given Ghisolfi’s current contractual obligations with Ligue 1 club Nice, his recruitment could present complications.

Another report suggests that Bayer Leverkusen’s Simon Rolfes is also under consideration for a role at Liverpool, possibly alongside Werkself head coach Xabi Alonso, who is rumored to be the leading candidate to succeed Klopp as manager.

However, if Liverpool’s pursuit of international candidates fails to yield results, it appears they may consider promoting from within and are closely observing the contributions of Barry Hunter and David Fallows.

Hunter has served as Liverpool’s head of scouting for nearly 12 years, preceded by a tenure at Manchester City from 2008 to 2012, while Fallows has held the position of chief scout for the Reds since 2014.

The restructuring of Liverpool’s sporting directorate began in the summer of 2022, following the departure of the long-serving Michael Edwards from his role. Despite efforts to lure the 44-year-old back to Anfield, they have been unsuccessful.

Julian Ward, who previously held roles as a scout, manager of loaned players, and technical director, assumed the position of Liverpool’s new transfer chief after Edwards’ departure. However, he stepped down after just one season in the role.