Liverpool' New Project - Michael EDWARDS - XABI ALONSO - Richard HUGHES

After the departure of Juergen Klopp, Liverpool are about to undergo a revolution that has already begun. In this article, the SoccerSat team explains the three pillars on which the club's new model will be built and how it will actually work!

By SoccerSat Team

Michael Edwards

After Jürgen Klopp announced his departure from Liverpool in the summer of 2024, questions about the club's future logically followed.

In order to replace a manager of this caliber, it is not enough to simply appoint a new coach and believe that everything will be fine. Jurgen is one of the greatest coaches of our time, and for Liverpool to remain successful after him, comprehensive solutions were needed.

In Liverpool, fortunately, they understand this and have already started working on it. Therefore, the transition from the almighty Klopp to the new era will be made through the appointment of 3 key individuals.

The first one is Michael Edwards. This gentleman has already worked in Liverpool from 2011 to 2022. At first, he was the head of performance and analysis, and in 2016, he was promoted to sporting director.

It was during Edwards' tenure that the Reds gradually grew from a European competitive contender to a major football powerhouse. In fact, he was the driving force behind Klopp's recruitment in 2015.

His brilliant analytical work was key in signing players such as Alisson, Van Dijk, Salah, Mane and Konate. In particular, he convinced Liverpool's management that an unknown Andy Robertson from Hull City could become one of the best left-backs in the world.

But that's not the whole story. Michael Edwards rightly receives praise for his many recruitment wins, but his impact was far greater. He recruited Ian Graham who went on to become one of the best video analysts, set up and empowered Liverpool's research department, led the training facility upgrade by spending time in Salzburg as their Academy complex provided inspiration, – says journalist Melissa Reddy.

In 2022, Edwards decided to leave Liverpool because Jurgen Klopp's role in decision-making had grown so much that they began to duplicate each other's functions. In addition, Michael had said before that he wanted to limit his time at the club for 10 years.

Given the above, the desire to recruit Edwards again seemed quite logical. However, it was not an easy task. First, he was fully immersed in the Ludonautics project, a company that provides data-driven recruiting services to football clubs.

Secondly, Michael was not interested in the role of sporting director. So it seemed like there was no way he was going to return.

However, the bosses of the Fenway Sports Group, the consortium that owns Liverpool, managed to convince the specialist by giving him a much wider role. Officially, this position is called the CEO of football for FSG.

The specialist was offered to fully manage the development of football in a structure where Liverpool would be the main, but not the only, football club. Edwards himself admitted that he is convinced that in order to be competitive, it is necessary to create a multiple football club structure like City Football Group or Red Bull.

One of the biggest factors in my decision is the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club, – Edwards says.

Michael believes that additional clubs are necessary to be able to keep as much talent as possible in their structure and give them all opportunities to develop. Business-wise, this model is also great: even if a player does not reach the level of Liverpool, he can be sold once he shows up at a higher level.

So, in the near future, we can expect FSG to acquire a club, for example, in France. Place your bets on what club it might be.

As you can imagine, Edwards will now be responsible for many decisions that will determine the future of Liverpool at the strategic level. The fans should also be flattered that Michael has turned down 10 big clubs over the past year and a half, including Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG.

That Liverpool restructure job post Jurgen Klopp is such a huge one and it really needed somebody familiar with the club, who understands its culture, its processes, the mechanisms that make it sustainable and successful - and there is no better person than Michael Edwards, – Melissa Reddy explains.

By the way, Edwards' return was possible, also because he left the club calmly and without scandal, remaining on good terms with everyone.

I'm really happy. I want to see the club in the best possible place after I leave. It's a top solution. Top news for the club, – Jurgen Klopp commented on Edwards' appointment.

Is Xabi Alonso going to Liverpool?

Xabi Alonso has put an end to rumours that he would replace Jurgen Klopp as Liverpool manager this summer by confirming he will stay as head coach of Bayer Leverkusen in the upcoming campaign.

Who is Liverpool new boss?

Instead of taking over as manager, as Klopp has done, Slot is expected to be named head coach of the Reds. As a result, the 45-year-old's workload will primarily be limited to the training fields. At first, Klopp had a significant impact on Liverpool's coaching style.