Any fears that Liverpool's traditionally stellar work in the transfer window will fall apart once Michael Edwards leaves can be eased if the recent deal for Luis Diaz is anything to go by.
Edwards has earned himself quite the reputation when it comes to his shrewd business dealings both in terms of bringing top-tier talent but also fetching a high fee for the Liverpool players deemed surplus to requirements.
However, he will call time on his stay on Merseyside at the end of the current campaign after more than 10 years at Liverpool during which time the club have ended their three decade wait for a league title.
Edwards' current second-in-command Julian Ward will take over as the club's new sporting director and has already proven he has what it takes to continue the transfer legacy of the man he will succeed.
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Ward has strong Portuguese and South American links and therefore played a pivotal role in the recent pursuit of former FC Porto winger Luis Diaz.
The Colombian wide-man was highly sought after by a number of top clubs across Europe, including the Reds Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur.
Spurs even made contact with Porto over the player, but once word reached Liverpool that he would favour a move to Jurgen Klopp's side there was precious little time to waste.
Ward swooped and managed to broker a deal worth £37.5m with a further £12.5m owed if a series of performance-related add-ons are met in just two-and-a-half days.
The final Thursday of the window saw Ward, Klopp, Diaz and his representatives join a Zoom call to negotiate the terms of the contract.
Within 24 hours Liverpool's club doctor Jim Moxon was on a flight to Cordoba to undergo his medical ahead of confirmation of the mega-money switch.
Diaz has already made his Reds debut after he was introduced off the bench during the second-half of last Sunday's routine 3-1 home win over Cardiff City in the fourth round of the FA Cup.
Tottenham and chairman Daniel Levy in particular were thought to be unhappy with the manner in which their pursuit of Diaz fell apart, bemoaning the influence of the player's representative Carlos van Strahalen.
Spurs' loss was ultimately Liverpool's gain given they now boast not only one of the hottest properties in Europe but also an insight into how they could gain an advantage in the South American market.
The Reds already have a strong South American core in their current first-team fold.
Alisson, Fabinho and Roberto Firmino are three Brazilian talents that play regularly while Ward's Portuguese connections may have come in to play during the deal for Diogo Jota in the summer of 2020.
