Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward is to leave the club at the end of the season just months after replacing Michael Edwards.
The news, which comes courtesy of GOAL’s Neil Jones on Twitter, comes as a huge surprise with many Reds fans expecting the Englishman to build on the impressive foundations that had been laid by his predecessor.
The 41-year-old played an integral role in the signings of Ibrahima Konate, Luis Diaz and most recently Darwin Nunez and this creates yet more uncertainty around the FA Cup champions following FSG’s recent announcement that they’re looking to sell the club (or invite investment from other parties at the very least).
Ward also helped retain the services of Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and Alisson Becker, to name a few, with the trio recently signing new long-term deals with the club.
Jurgen Klopp’s side are expected to be busy in the next two transfer windows but it’s now rather unclear how the key staff member’s departure could affect our activity in the market.
When he officially replaced Edwards in July, our German tactician admitted he was looking forward to working alongside the new sporting director long into the future.
“Julian and I have worked closely since he became loans and pathway manager, plus even more so in his wider role during the past 12 months,” the former Borussia Dortmund boss said (as quoted by This Is Anfield).
“We have so many brilliant people here, all of whom contribute to what we have achieved and I have nothing but confidence we will continue to develop, progress and improve as an organisation.”
After the disappointment of losing Edwards, Ward, albeit in such a short period of time, has proved that he’s a more than adequate replacement but it now appears that the club will be on the lookout for yet another candidate for the role.
Check Jones’ tweet out below via Twitter:
Big news at Liverpool. Sporting director Julian Ward is stepping down at the end of the season.
He only replaced Michael Edwards in the role in the summer, and was chiefly responsible for the signings of Luis Diaz & Darwin Nunez + Mohamed Salah's contract renewal.#LFC
— Neil Jones (@neiljonesgoal) November 24, 2022
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Finally, LFC is weeding out the culprit of the delicate situation the club has found itself in this season 2022/2023. Good riddance!