Liverpool experienced significant success during Michael Edwards’ tenure as their sporting director from November 2016 to June 2022. Edwards played a crucial role in securing key signings for Liverpool such as Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson. Additionally, he aided the club in generating substantial funds from player sales, including Dominic Solanke, Rhian Brewster, and Mamadou Sakho.
Edwards surprised Liverpool by departing in the summer of 2022. His successor, Julian Ward, took over the role briefly before also deciding to leave Anfield after a year. Liverpool then brought in Jorg Schmadtke, the former Wolfsburg director, in June to replace Ward. Initially, it was believed that Schmadtke’s appointment was only for the duration of the summer transfer window. However, Schmadtke later announced that his contract would extend for 12 months.
As Schmadtke nears the end of his contract, discussions will occur between him and the higher-ups at Liverpool to evaluate the direction of both parties, with a potential extension under consideration.
Nevertheless, it appears that Liverpool is exploring other options for sporting directors in case they part ways with Schmadtke. Max Eberl, aged 50, has been linked to the role. Eberl previously served as Gladbach’s sporting director from 2008 to 2022, followed by a brief stint at Leipzig before leaving the club in September of the current year.
A recent report from German outlet Bild suggests Liverpool has shown “renewed interest” in recruiting Eberl to enhance Jurgen Klopp’s team. Eberl reportedly feels “honored” by Liverpool’s interest, given the club’s stature and recent achievements. However, Eberl seems primarily focused on securing the sporting director position at Bayern, considering it his priority at present.
Bayern recently dismissed their former sporting director, Hasan Salihamidzic, and CEO Oliver Kahn. They appointed Christoph Freund, the chief of Red Bull Salzburg, as Salihamidzic’s replacement. Yet, Eberl believes that Bayern’s top leadership might consider replacing Freund with him.
According to Bild, Bayern President Herbert Hainer is keen on bringing in Eberl, but the new CEO, Jan-Christian Dreesen, remains unconvinced. As a result, Bayern has not yet approached Eberl regarding a potential move to the Allianz Arena.
Should Bayern’s interest in Eberl falter by refraining from initiating discussions, this might pave the way for Liverpool to consider Eberl as Schmadtke’s replacement. However, it is evident that, for now, Eberl prefers to work for the most successful team in his home country.