Shock Liverpool sporting director update emerges amid Man Utd and Newcastle United stalemate

Liverpool are reportedly pushing one final time to bring Michael Edwards back to the club. Edwards spent six years as sporting director at Anfield before leaving the club in July 2022.

According to Fabrizio Romano, the Reds are interested in bringing Edwards back to the club, but the 44-year-old will insist on having full control over football operations if he is to return to the club. Liverpool’s owners, Fenway Sports Group, are keen to implement a new sporting director and backroom team this summer when Jurgen Klopp leaves his post as manager. 

Manchester United, under Sir Jim Ratcliffe, are in a similar situation and keen to implement Dan Ashworth as their new sporting director before the summer transfer window opens. However, in order to do that, they must come to an agreement with Newcastle United over compensation, or else the 52-year-old will remain on gardening leave until 2026. 

Speaking about Ashworth’s situation last week, Ratcliffe said: “We'll have to see how it unfolds. What I do think is completely absurd, is suggesting a man who is really good at his job sits in his garden for one and a half years.”

The Magpies, meanwhile, are on the hunt for Ashworth’s replacement and numerous names have been linked with the post. Sporting directors have become an increasingly important part of how modern football clubs operate and with Liverpool, Manchester United and Newcastle United all in the market to add to their backroom staff, the next few months could very well be dominated by talk of staff incomings and movements, rather than player trading.