There may be a new man in the hot seat, but it’s very much business as usual when it comes to Liverpool and their transfer dealings.
During his 11-year stint at Anfield, Michael Edwards’ acumen in the market earned him a reputation as one of the shrewdest operators in world football. It’s perhaps little surprise then, that when his departure was announced there was an air of trepidation.
After all, under his guise as Liverpool’s sporting director, Edwards helped oversee a transformation which saw the Reds reclaim their spot right at the top of European football. His list of transfer hits is an astonishing one, including a glut of players who are already regarded as Anfield greats.
But it was perhaps his ability to continue bringing in quality, while simultaneously keeping their net spend down which has helped most build Edwards’ lore. Philippe Coutinho and Luis Suarez were the blockbuster departures, but it was the deals that went under the radar which became increasingly vital to the entire operation.
Danny Ward had only made three first-team appearances when he was shipped to Leicester City for an eye-watering £12.5million. Dominic Solanke had found the net just once before Bournemouth sanctioned a £19million bid and Rhian Brewster brought in £23.5million, for a player who hasn’t looked Premier League standard since.
And his successor Julian Ward is now proving he has learned more than a thing or two from his old boss. Having overseen deals for Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay during his early tenure, it is now a case of getting players out of the door.
Sadio Mane looks highly likely to be the first, with his Bayern Munich medical believed to be booked in for Tuesday ahead of a £35.1m move. But once that’s completed, Ward will have the chance to boost Kop coffers significantly with fringe players making moves.
The Telegraph report that Liverpool have slapped a £15million price-tag on Neco Williams, with newly-promoted Nottingham Forest sniffing around the defender. Williams spent last season out on-loan and reports now claim that any exit this summer will be a permanent one - and at considerable cost to any interested parties.
Nathaniel Phillips is another defender unlikely to ever become a regular starter under Jurgen Klopp, but could fetch a similar fee from Bournemouth after their promotion.
Takumi Minamino could also be sacrificed in the search for financial parity and could fetch as much as £17m from frontrunners Monaco. The Japan international scored 10 goals in all competitions, but has admitted he was disappointed by his lack of opportunities.
"As a player, I've never had a difficult time in a match so far," he's quoted saying in Japanese outlet SoccerDigest via the ECHO. "But at the same time, it is meaningful for me to play an important match as a player and leave a result.
“I’m told that I got the result, but I don't think I did a big deal. I just did the obvious thing, and it was more disappointing.I can play a more important game and get the result. I want to be a player. ”
Should Liverpool seal those four exits, they would recoup over £80m, more than enough to cover the initial fee paid to Benfica to sign Nunez earlier this month. And Ward would show he was always the right choice to continue the brilliant work of Edwards.
