Liverpool may now be free to swoop for a sporting director they’d reportedly wanted before appointing Jorg Schmadtke earlier this year.
As per The Mirror, Paul Mitchell has left his role at AS Monaco, seven months on from the same outlet reporting that the Reds had held talks with him over possibly replacing Julian Ward in the job at Anfield.
As we now know, those apparent discussions amounted to nothing concrete, with the position instead going to the 59-year-old.
However, with Schmadtke only at Liverpool on a short-term contract, it’s understood that he’s likely to depart within the next 12 months, thus leaving the Merseyside club needing to consider a long-term successor.
Despite being just 42, Mitchell has already held scouting or directorial roles at several clubs, having worked for MK Dons, Southampton, Tottenham, three Red Bull-owned sides (Leipzig, New York, Bragantino) and Monaco.
His reputation for astute recruitment is stellar, with the Saints having been promoted to the Premier League during his time at St Mary’s and the likes of Dele Alli, Son Heung-min and Kieran Trippier all signed by Spurs on his watch (The Mirror).
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As sporting director at the Ligue 1 club, he oversaw the signings of players such as Axel Disasi, Kevin Volland and Caio Henrique for a combined €32m (£27.7m, Transfermarkt), with the former then sold to Chelsea this year for £38.5m (BBC Sport), banking Les Monegasques a huge profit.
Following the lengthy and hugely successful tenure of Michael Edwards at Anfield, Liverpool have seen some upheaval since his exit, with Ward only in the post for a year before Schmadtke’s appointment, which also looks set to be a short-term one.
If the incumbent director is to leave in 2024 (or sooner), Mitchell could certainly be worth considering once more by the Reds’ hierarchy, especially now that he’s up for grabs after leaving Monaco.