Linked Julian Ward replacement responsible for incredible signings but LFC must avoid him – Opinion

Posted by

In a similar vein to the ongoing updates around Liverpool’s ownership situation, it was, to a degree, inevitable that names would begin to start popping out of the woodwork the second Julian Ward’s upcoming departure was announced.

One of the first out of the hat was one Jurgen Klopp will be more than familiar with – former Borussia Dortmund visionary and failed Arsenal chief scout, Sven Mislintat.

The temptation for the current Reds boss will be to look back to the kind of outrageous signings his old colleague pulled off whilst scouting for the Signal Iduna Park-based outfit.

Could you blame the 55-year-old when looking at his success stories?

Robert Lewandowski, Shinji Kagawa, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Ilkay Gundogan and Mats Hummels.

It’s almost enough to make you forget all about Arsenal’s infamous swap deal for Henrikh Mkhitaryan that saw Alexis Sanchez go to Manchester United whilst in the last year of his contract at the Emirates (after the Gunners had rejected a £60m bid from Manchester City).

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp’s agent now breaks silence on possible Liverpool exit amid Germany questions

Looking at that, quite frankly, insane collection of talent, some might be wondering why Liverpool’s decision-makers haven’t punched holes into their phones already in a bid to snap up the free agent.

Forget all about his misses – and believe us when we say there are quite a few – and forget about his hits.

With a potential takeover looming, Liverpool are reportedly reexamining how they operate across the club – including, critically, how they conduct transfers.

There have been suggestions, as a result, that we could move away from our model of sustainability and towards competing for higher calibre (and, consequently, higher value) targets.

A switch in approach would, one might reasonably imagine, be dependent on Fenway Sports Group handing over the keys to another party capable of financing such moves.

Whilst there is genuine interest in Liverpool, an offer has yet to materialise, which could work in Mislintat’s favour should FSG believe that a sale isn’t likely in the near future.

If a sale does get over the line, however, we need a sporting director who can reflect our potentially newfound flexibility in the market.

An ability to secure gems on the cheap that the club can grow won’t go amiss, but getting the big calls right – the ones that cost in the region of £60-100m (or beyond) – will be absolutely critical.

As a scout often tasked with finding the uncut gems the big dogs have failed to notice, we’re not absolutely confident that Sven Mislintat is the man who can fulfil that brief.

EOTK Insider: 🏆 Liverpool’s Two World Cup Winners and 14 Finalists, ahead of Qatar 🔴

More Stories Julian Ward Liverpool Sven Mislintat