Reliable reporter Christian Falk has shared a fresh update on Liverpool’s efforts to bring in Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director.
The 59-year-old has been lined up to take over from Julian Ward at Anfield, with The Telegraph‘s Sam Wallace reporting in recent days that the German is ‘expected to sign a long-term contract’ on Merseyside.
Falk has now weighed in with the latest news on the matter, saying that the ex-Wolfsburg chief is ‘far in’ with negotiations to team up with the Reds.
The head of football at Bild exclusively revealed in his latest briefing for CaughtOffside: “The negotiations are very far in for Jorg Schmadtke, I heard.
“He thought about retiring after leaving Wolfsburg in January. He said his wife is now making the decision and if in the next three months she can’t stand him anymore he has to go out and work again.
“So, I think it’s not easy for him to be coming back into a full-time job in July, especially not in Germany.
“I heard the talks started with the idea of an external consultant position working just for transfers. This idea included just a few months, especially the summer transfer window. Now the talks are looking at something more, which is why they are taking longer than expected.
“At a minimum, it will be a consultant role. If Liverpool wants and gets more from Schmadtke – that remains to be seen.”
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This update from Falk is a very welcome one for a variety of reasons.
Firstly, the revelation that negotiations are ‘very far in’ would suggest that the two parties are quite intent on coming to an agreement which would see Schmadtke come on board at Liverpool.
Secondly, if the talks are taking ‘longer than expected’ because the club could be looking at ‘something more’ than a consultancy role, it indicates that the 59-year-old would be brought in as a full successor to Ward, rather than an external party offering advice to the Anfield powerbrokers.
There had been some suggestions that the German would only be a consultant rather than taking over fully as sporting director, although Falk’s update makes it seem likelier to be a more formal appointment.
That should be seen as a positive, as it shows intent from both sides to commit fully to this potential new working relationship in what’s unquestionably one of the most critical positions at the club, particularly ahead of what’s shaping up to be a pivotal summer transfer window on Merseyside.