Liverpool’s four transfer chief options if Michael Edwards leaves role

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Liverpool will be on the lookout for a new transfer chief if Michael Edwards leaves the club next summer. Edwards’ Anfield contract is set to expire at the end of the season and he has apparently informed bosses that he intends to move on.

Edwards originally joined Liverpool as head of performance and analysis in 2011 after working under Harry Redknapp at Tottenham and Portsmouth.

He was promoted to sporting director – the role he currently has – in 2016 and has since been instrumental in the club’s transfer activities.

The 42-year-old has overseen the signings of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, as well as the departure of Philippe Coutinho, which landed the Reds a massive £142million.

He has also been lauded for selling the likes of Rhian Brewster, Dominic Solanke and Mamadou Sakho for arguably a lot more than they were worth.

If Edwards does depart Merseyside, Liverpool will need to appoint a talented successor. Express Sport looks at four options to take over as sporting director.

Julian Ward

Julian Ward is currently Edwards’ right-hand man at Anfield after being promoted in December last year.

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He enjoyed a playing career in non-league football and in Northern Ireland, turning out for the likes of Morecambe and Hyde.

Ward now assists with incoming and outgoing transfers at Anfield, as well as contract negotiations, and provides a link to different departments.

The assistant sporting director joined Liverpool in 2012 after two years at Manchester City, and was originally the club’s scouting manager for Spain and Portugal.

He also worked as the Reds’ loan pathways and football partnerships manager before his latest promotion.

The Reds have a history of promoting from within and they will surely want a smooth transition – so Ward appears to be well-placed to land the job.

Paul Mitchell

Paul Mitchell is currently the sporting director at Monaco. The 40-year-old turned out for clubs such as MK Dons and Wigan Athletic during his playing days but has made a name for himself off the pitch since hanging up his boots.

The former midfielder became chief scout for Southampton in 2012 and was responsible for taking Sadio Mane, Virgil van Dijk and Mauricio Pochettino to the south coast.

Mitchell followed Poch to Tottenham in 2014 but exited less than three years later as he was apparently unhappy with the club’s transfer policy.

Manchester United reportedly attempted to lure him to Old Trafford in 2018, but he instead opted for a move to RB Leipzig before his current club came calling.

Marc Overmars

Marc Overmars has performed wonders since becoming Ajax’s director of football in 2012.

Since his appointment, Ajax have won four Dutch titles and reached the Champions League semi-finals.

The 48-year-old has made some shrewd signings and has also been able to command mega-money for a plethora of departing players, including Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt, who joined Barcelona and Juventus respectively.

Overmars spent three years at Arsenal as a player and, if he is to return to the Premier League, it is more likely that he will wait for an offer from the Gunners.

Ralf Rangnick

Another left-field option is Ralf Rangnick, who is currently working as head of sports and development at Russian giants Lokomotiv Moscow.

The 63-year-old has managed the likes of RB Leipzig, Schalke and Stuttgart in his home nation and has been tipped to make a return to the dugout.

Rangnick is highly-rated in Germany and there has even been talk of him taking over at Manchester United if Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is sacked.

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