Jamie Carragher has admitted to being 'worried' after Liverpool confirmed that their sporting director, Julian Ward, will leave the Merseyside club at the end of the season.
The Reds have been no stranger to an unexpected announcement recently, having confirmed only two weeks ago that owners Fenway Sports Group are seeking new investment into the club or the possibility of an outright sale.
Ward, who has been at Anfield for over 10 years, only took on the sporting director role in June, when he replaced Michael Edwards, but with his departure confirmed for the end of the season, the search for a new incumbent for the key job is on.
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Ward's exit has left ex- Liverpool defender Carragher worried and questioning just how stable his former club's situation is currently is while they seek not only a new sporting director, but potentially new owners as well.
Speaking on Sky Sports, Carragher said: "It's not ideal. I think when you're talking about recruiting players, a person in that role is heavily involved, not just for the January transfer window, but for the summer as well. It does feel like a little bit of a shock and I think it's a bit of a worry for Liverpool right now.
"There seems to be a lot of upheaval behind the scenes, in terms of the ownership, Michael Edwards has moved on, Julian Ward came in to replace him and now he's gone as well. I don't think it would be easy to get someone straight away and if it is unexpected for Liverpool, it's come as a shock. I'm sure they're not prepared for something like that right now, but someone will fill that role and hopefully they will have as much success in that role as Julian Ward and Michael Edwards have had in the past."
The ECHO understands that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp could be set to assume a greater say in transfer dealings in the interim. Ward's exit is not the last from upstairs at Anfield, with director of research Ian Graham another name who has confirmed his Liverpool exit at the end of the season.
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