Jürgen Klopp is optimistic that Liverpool would replace the outgoing sports director, Julian Ward, before the summer. The news of Ward parting ways with The Reds came as a shock for both the coach and the club, considering that he left a few months after succeeding Michael Edwards; he has already sealed a deal to become a sporting director at Ajax in the summer.  

Ward was promoted as Liverpool's sporting director following the departure of Michael Edwards, who joined the club from Spurs in 2011. Five years down the line, Edwards became Liverpool's sporting director and had a successful 6-year run at Anfield, which made Liverpool fans and gamblers who place their wagers on the Lottoland sports betting page happy.

He oversaw the likes of Mohammed Salah, Andy Robertson, Diogo Jota, Virgil Van Dijk, Fabinho, and Allison join Liverpool. This is the same period the Reds lifted the Champions League as well as winning the Premier League title after 30 years. 

Julian Ward rose through the ranks at Liverpool to become loans and pathways manager and was later made Edward's official “assistant” in December 2020. During his short tenure, he oversaw the signings of Darwin Núñez from Benfica and Luis Díaz from Porto. 

Jürgen Klopp's Thoughts on His Involvement in the Search for a New Sporting Director  

The head coach shared his thoughts about the current structure at Anfield, where he works alongside sporting directors when signing new players. In a pre-match conference, Klopp insisted on the importance of having a sporting manager working alongside the coach to make decisions. 

He pointed out that the likes of City, Arsenal, and United have sporting directors or someone in the role of sporting director because it makes sense. According to Klopp, it would be hard for these clubs to follow the old version where the manager does everything. He also added that the issue of how the manager is involved with decision-making is irrelevant in this case. 

So, Who Could Replace Julian Ward at Anfield? 

The club has a history of appointing sporting directors from further down the ranks. However, with time running out, the position could be filled by an external candidate this round. 

The list of potential candidates poised to replace Ward has been shrinking day by day. Nonetheless, Klopp sounded optimistic that their search would come to fruition very soon, although he is "not the person" who can give real answers on the subject. In his own words, Klopp stated, "I am not involved in the 'talks' but maybe in the talks around, yes," he told reporters. "I am not the person in the club who can give (a) real answer about where it stands. That's in the hands of other people. What I heard is it's all going in the right direction."

Some of the people linked to the position ahead of next season include Monaco's Paul Mitchell, who was interested in returning to England despite having 12 months to run on his contract. However, Liverpool had no interest in the 41-year-old, he is yet to declare his next move. 

Other potential replacements include Dave Fallows, Liverpool's head of recruitment, and Markus Krosche from Eintracht Frankfurt. 

Nonetheless, Liverpool fans are optimistic that Tim Steidten, a 43-year-old former sporting director at Bayern Leverkusen, could replace Julian Ward as the next sporting director. He is FSG's (Fenway Sports Group) favourite to replace Julian Ward and help find Jürgen Klopp's replacement in the future. 

Steidten has been linked with a move to Chelsea, days after Todd Boehly took over the club's ownership last year. Currently, the clubs seeking his signature include Manchester United, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspurs. 

In a recent report by CIES Football Observatory, Bayer Leverkusen is the 20th most valuable club in Europe. Steidten joined Bayer Leverkusen in 2019, and since then the club only recorded a net expenditure of € 24.25 million, yet its value was estimated to be 416.35 million five years ago, a 58.4% increase. He seems to be the right sporting director to work alongside Klopp, who likes working with a tight-knit squad.  

LFC Globe Verdict

EPL fans are usually obsessed with the transfer window, and Liverpool supporters are not in any way different. They are eager to see who will replace Julian Ward and collaborate with the manager to make the right decisions in winning the transfer window and eventually help them regain their lost glory. It's just a matter of days before we can see who will be working with Klopp to make this happen.