Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards is expected to step down from his role at the club next summer, according to The Athletic’s David Ornstein.
Edwards’ contract runs until the end of the current season and he is believed to have informed the hierarchy at Liverpool of his intention to leave.
Ornstein added that the situation is not final and that discussions are ongoing to keep the popular sporting director at the club.
However, the expected outcome is that the long-term relationship Edwards has with the club will come to a close when his existing contract ends.
Julian Ward, who was promoted to assistant sporting director in December, is the man expected to replace Edwards if he leaves.
Edwards was hired by Harry Redknapp to be Portsmouth’s Head of Performance Analysis in 2003 and stayed at the club for six years.
He was in the same role at Tottenham Hotspur under Redknapp for two years and joined Liverpool in 2011.
Edwards has been Liverpool’s sporting director since November 2016 and has sculpted a Premier League-winning side in a number of years alongside Jurgen Klopp and recruitment staff.
The former Peterborough United player signed the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Fabinho to the club, helping to grow Klopp’s Liverpool into one of the best sides in the world.
His sales have also been impressive as the Englishman has had a history of getting great deals for outgoing players in his time in the role.
Rhian Brewster moved to Sheffield United last summer for a fee of £24 million while Dominic Solanke, who scored one goal for the club, was sold to Bournemouth for a fee in the region of £20 million.
He oversaw the sale of Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona for a massive £142 million – a move that kick-started Liverpool’s evolution into one of the greatest sides in the world.
