Liverpool's transfer strategy facing biggest change in years

Liverpool are in a period of transition as a club, and more big changes are coming.

Since last season ended, Arne Slot, Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes have all moved on from Anfield.

As well as this backroom turnover, 1892 Holdings recently agreed a deal to buy close to 40% of the club from current owners Fenway Sports Group.

The Reds’ Boston-based owners still have a controlling interest in the club, and were responsible for the appointment of Andoni Iraola, but big changes could be coming in Merseyside.

Now, as Liverpool look to appoint a new sporting director, their whole recruitment strategy could face a shakeup.

Liverpool to change recruitment approach

For many years now Liverpool have entrusted the duty of leading the recruitment team to a director of football, something that has been generally very successful at Anfield.

Figures like Edwards, Julian Ward, Jorg Schmadtke and Hughes have held the role at Liverpool, but the club might now be moving away from their traditional approach.

According to a report from Sky Sports, the club are seriously considering re-appointing Julian Ward as sporting director, but are also looking at hiring someone to work as co-sporting director with Brentford’s Lee Dykes one of the leading candidates.

The second appointment could see someone, potentially Dykes, become the technical director at Anfield a role that doesn’t currently exist.

It appears that the Reds, potentially under advice from Amit Bhatia, are exploring a more collaborative approach to leading recruitment.

Bhatia is the leader of the 1892 Holdings group, and the input from Liverpool’s new minority owners could be what has encouraged the club to try a new approach.

Ward currently holds a role as FSG’s global technical director, but is very familiar with Liverpool’s recruitment team having overseen the arrival of multiple current first-team players during his previous tenure as sporting director.

It remains to be seen which direction Liverpool will head in, but there could be big changes on the horizon behind the scenes in Merseyside.