Liverpool fail with attempt to bring back director who played significant role in Jurgen Klopp's succesful reign: Reports
Liverpool's proposal to former sporting director Michael Edwards to oversee the restructure of the club has reportedly been rejected.
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano reports that the Reds made contact with Edwards over the weekend. This comes amid Jurgen Klopp's shock announcement that he will leave the club at the end of the season.
Edwards spent 11 years working alongside Klopp as Liverpool's sporting director. The Englishman helped construct one of the Anfield giants' most successful sides under the German coach, winning the Premier League, the UEFA Champions League, the FA Cup, and the League Cup.
However, Edwards left his role as the Merseysiders' sporting director in June 2022. Julian Ward replaced him but left the position after one year.
Jorg Schmadtke is the club's current sporting director but he's also headed for the Anfield exit door. The German football executive will step down from his role at the end of the current transfer window.
Romano claims that Edwards was offered the opportunity to oversee the restructure of Liverpool in the post-Klopp era. But, he has rejected the proposal as he doesn't want to take up a more senior role as of today.
The former Reds director currently works as a consultant for Ludonautics. This is a sports advisory business founded by the Merseyside outfit's former director of research Ian Graham, per This is Anfield.
Liverpool are set for a pivotal summer and the first one without Klopp at the helm since 2015. The club will not only be looking to replace their manager but also his backroom team and recruitment staff.
Ex-Liverpool CEO Peter Moore warns fans about the club's ambitions next season
Liverpool fans were in dreamland this time last week as they were on the hunt for an unprecedented quadruple. They still are as things stand, but Klopp's blockbuster announcement that he'll leave has stunned the football world.
Klopp has been in charge of the Merseysiders for nine years and has been one of their most successful managers. He ended the club's 30-year wait for the English league title when the Reds won the Premier League in 2020.
The club's former CEO Peter Moore warned fans about the repercussions such a 'hard reset' will have. He thinks it could take a couple of seasons before the Anfield outfit are competing for trophies as they are currently (via the Liverpool Echo):
"This is a hard reset and it might be a couple of seasons. We may have to accept that this time next year we’re not going to be competing on four fronts like we are right now."
Klopp signed a new two-year extension with the Reds in April 2022, keeping him tied to the club until 2026. Thus, it came as such a shock when he announced his departure at the end of the ongoing season.
The former Borussia Dortmund manager has overseen 289 wins in 465 games in charge at Anfield. He is touted as one of the greatest managers in English football history.