Ian Doyle has shared an update regarding what he knows about Liverpool’s ongoing search for a successor to Julian Ward as the club’s sporting director.
The incumbent is set to depart that role in the summer, just one year after assuming the reins from Michael Edwards, with Tim Steidten being linked with the position in recent days and weeks.
Football Insider reported this week that the Anfield hierarchy have contacted the 48-year-old about the job, having abruptly left a similar role with Bayer Leverkusen – currently managed by Xabi Alonso – in March.
However, Doyle’s information appears to contradict this, with the journalist stating in a Q&A for the Liverpool Echo in relation to Steidten: “I’ve been told he is not someone who is under consideration by Liverpool at this present time.
“It’s become rather clear, though, the new sporting director won’t be as much involved in this summer’s deals as the outgoing Julian Ward.”
With Doyle being one of the most reliable and trusted sources regarding Liverpool-related news, we’re inclined to take his word regarding the sporting director search.
It therefore seems that Steidten mightn’t be in line to take over from Ward at all, which would be disappointing given the German’s impressive track record at Leverkusen.
He brought the likes of Moussa Diaby, Adam Hlozek, Pierro Hincapie and Florian Wirtz to the BayArena for fees which have since been dwarfed by their current market values, proving to be a highly astute operator.
Doyle’s claim that Liverpool’s next sporting director will seemingly be less involved in transfers than Ward has been during his tenure is an interesting one.
It comes in the wake of Fabrizio Romano telling CaughtOffside that Jurgen Klopp will have a ‘big role’ in transfer decisions, which could hint at an in-house restructuring of the involvement of key personnel in terms of player recruitment.
The Reds are facing into a pivotal summer in the marketplace, with several members of the current squad expected to leave and numerous prospective signings being touted, so hopefully the identity of Ward’s successor can be finalised in the near future so that greater clarity can be established ahead of this critical period.