Liverpool is close to agreeing a deal to get Michael Edwards back involved with the club after talks were held. Five things ‘definitely’ happen if he returns.

Jürgen Klopp signs a contract extension and chats with Sporting Director Michael Edwards and Mike Gordon FSG President and Liverpool F.C owner at Melwood Training Ground on December 13, 2019 in Liverpool, England.

The search for Jürgen Klopp’s replacement is nothing if not complicated. It would have been a gargantuan task at the best of times, but Liverpool has made things even more difficult by pursuing a wider structural reshuffle.

The search for a permanent sporting director is ongoing at the same time, after Jörg Schmadtke departed at the end of the January transfer window.

His tenure was always going to be temporary, but Liverpool now finds itself searching for someone who will play a vastly more influential role in the immediate future direction of the club, presumably playing a part in appointing Klopp’s successor.

It’s no secret that the ideal candidate is Michael Edwards. The post has not been truly settled since he left it in the summer of 2022, and Liverpool would ideally bring him back — except he has made it plain that he would not be interested in a return in the capacity of sporting director.

But Liverpool is so keen to get him back on board, FSG has proposed some kind of higher, more overarching role. Meetings in the US were recently held to that end (according to Sky Sports). Now, The Athletic has outlined that a deal is close that will see Edwards take on a role with FSG. Richard Hughes, who announced he would be leaving Bournemouth earlier in the week, would become Liverpool’s sporting director.

That speaks volumes about how highly Edwards is rated, and Liverpool would certainly be getting a world-class operator if it could pull this off — but the clock is ticking. Here are five things that ‘definitely’ happen if he does rejoin the club.

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One thing that’s become increasingly clear since Edwards’ name was first floated is that he will not come back to Liverpool in the same capacity. It’s only natural that Klopp grew in power at the club as his stature increased, but even though that dynamic is likely to reset under a new manager, simply being sporting director no longer seems to appeal.

According to the Telegraph, the most likely proposal is some kind of head of football operations position. That would give Edwards overarching influence over analytics and recruitment, although he would delegate to a sporting director (likely Hughes) on a day-to-day basis.

Given his hit rate in the transfer market over his first spell at Liverpool, few would have any qualms with empowering Edwards further. Clearly, FSG rates him extremely highly, as the latest meeting proves once again.

Richard Hughes links intensify
Should Edwards arrive, appointing a new sporting director would be high up his list of priorities. One would assume that Edwards himself would take on a lot of the responsibility in terms of choosing the next manager, reducing the urgency of finding a Schmadtke successor to a certain extent, but at the same time it’s not a position Liverpool will want to leave vacant for too much longer. The transfer window is mere months away.

Links to Richard Hughes would be sure to intensify. Currently at Bournemouth, there was recently an intriguing announcement that he will leave the club at the end of the season — and he has a strong relationship with Edwards. According to the Mail, the pair are ‘close’, while Edwards also rates Hughes as a ‘top transfer operator’. It all just makes a lot of sense.

Analytical approach continues
Edwards or no Edwards, it’s a pretty safe bet that Liverpool and FSG will stick to the data-led principles that have served them so well over the years. But getting in one of the true industry leaders would certainly double down that approach.

Most obviously, that would impact transfer market dealings. But given a more overarching role, it remains to be seen how Edwards would use the data to level up the club’s operations across a variety of departments. Maybe this slightly different challenge will be part of what tempts him back into the fold.

Contract situations resolved
Liverpool has three key stars who are about to enter the final year of their respective deals: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. That situation isn’t too alarming just yet, but there will need to be some progress once the relevant backroom appointments are in place.

This is particularly interesting because of reports that Edwards grew frustrated with some of the renewals handed out towards the end of his tenure. Per the Telegraph, Klopp became ‘the most powerful voice’, and there were ‘robust discussions’ about the merits of new deals for older players.

But that doesn’t necessarily spell bad news for Salah and Van Dijk. Ultimately, Edwards will want to go where the numbers take him — and with both still demonstrably key performers for Liverpool, it would be no surprise to see new contracts sorted quickly.

Manager search speeds up
It truly does speak volumes that FSG is still working hard to get Edwards back. It will be fully aware that it is running the risk of losing ground in the new manager search in the process. By pure coincidence, lots of top teams are on the lookout for new managers, with more advanced notice than usual. Liverpool, Barcelona and Bayern Munich all know they have a vacancy to fill.

The standout candidate is clearly Xabi Alonso. Only Liverpool will know what steps it has already taken behind the scenes, but it seems unlikely that it will make a firm approach without first having a sporting director (and a potential new position above that) in place.

The threat of Bayern Munich, another former club, is particularly alarming. Clearly, Liverpool believes that Edwards is worth the wait — but if he does come back, expect the manager search to shift into higher gear once he is in place.