Michael Edwards and John Henry(Image: Getty)

Michael Edwards agrees FSG deal with Liverpool new sporting director to follow

Michael Edwards is set to rejoin Liverpool after negotiations with FSG

12 Mar 2024, 09:14 by Theo Squires · Liverpool Echo

Michael Edwards agrees FSG deal with Liverpool new sporting director to follow

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Michael Edwards has agreed to return to Liverpool after accepting a senior role with club owners Fenway Sport Group which will see him oversee football operations at Anfield.

The 44-year-old initially turned down an approach from the Reds’ American owners to return to the club, following Jurgen Klopp’s shock announcement in January that he would stand down as manager at the end of the season.

But after flying out to Boston for face-to-face talks with FSG earlier this month, he has now agreed to take up a senior role in the group - with Liverpool falling under his remit.

One of Edwards’ first tasks will be to appoint a new sporting director at Anfield, with Richard Hughes expect to take up the role after announcing last week that he would AFC Bournemouth in the summer. The pair are friends from their time together at Portsmouth, where Edwards was a junior data analyst and the former Scotland international was still a player.

The Reds have been in the market for a new sporting director since Jorge Schmadtke left the club at the end of January, having replaced Julian Ward - Edwards’ own successor in the role - on a short term basis last summer.

Once Hughes' own arrival is finalised, the pair will turn attentions to choosing a successor for Klopp. Former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso remains one of the favourites to replace the German, as he continues to mastermind a remarkable transformation at Bayer Leverkusen and pursue a treble of trophies with the Bundesliga outfit, but he is not the only serious candidate under consideration.

Edwards stepped down as Liverpool’s sporting director in the summer of 2022 after 11 years at the club. Since departing, he had set up his own consultancy company - Ludonautics - with Dr. Ian Graham, the Reds’ former director of research.

During his original stint as the Reds' sporting director, he forged a well-respected reputation for his role in Liverpool's transfer negotiations. Involved in deals to sign the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson Becker, and Mohamed Salah, he also famously helped finalise Philippe Coutinho's club-record £142m exit to Barcelona.

Not interested in returning to Anfield as sporting director, he had also reportedly rejected similar roles with Manchester United and Chelsea since leaving the club. But after holding face-to-face talks with Liverpool owner John W. Henry and Mike Gordon to learn how his proposed role would differ from his last, Edwards has now agreed a sensational return in what is a major coup to FSG.

While Edwards' new role with FSG rather than the Reds themselves, he will head up their footballing operations. In doing so, he will reunited with a number of others he worked alongside in Liverpool's recruitment team over the past decade, including chief scout Barry Hunter and Head of Recruitment Dave Fallows.

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