Frederic Massara earned praise for his work as sporting director at AC Milan (Picture: Getty Images)
Liverpool remain keen to reappoint Michael Edwards as sporting director, but have three other names they are considering for the post.
Jorg Schmadtke’s short stay at the club is coming to an end this summer and it is another huge appointment for the Reds to make alongisde hiring a manager to replace Jurgen Klopp.
Liverpool have been trying to bring Michael Edwards back to the club after he left in 2022, and despite failing to do so and success looking unlikely on that front, the club has not given up.
Edwards spent 11 years at Liverpool and has gone on to set up his own data consultancy company, but Reds hero Steve McManaman says it may take more than just a sporting director role to tempt him back.
‘They should try and bring Michael back! Of course, they should,’ McManaman told the Liverpool Echo. ‘Funnily enough, I spoke to him the other day about it as well because he lives by me and I see him regularly.
‘I don’t know in what capacity they would want to bring him back. I don’t know. I think Michael has moved on from just being a sporting director. He hasn’t said that to me personally, but he couldn’t just go back to the same role that he was doing for a long time.
‘I think he’d need more. I don’t know whether he needs a new challenge. In past comments he’s made, it’s always the case that he needs a new challenge.’
Michael Edwards left his role as sporting director at Liverpool in 2022 (Picture: Getty Images)
The Independent report that there are three other alternatives to Edwards being considered at Anfield.
Bournemouth’s Richard Hughes is a target, although he is expected to move to Newcastle and replace Dan Ashworth, while ex-AC Milan sporting director Frederic Massara and currently Nice chief Florent Ghisolfi also in contention.
However, Ghisolfi seems unlikely as Jim Ratcliffe owns Nice and now owns a stake in Manchester United, so will be unlikely to allow him to move to Anfield.
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