It may be the international break, but that has not steamed the constant flow of Liverpool news. On Tuesday, it was widely reported that Julian Ward is set to return as sporting director. He first joined the club from Manchester City in 2012, subsequently holding a variety of roles.
Ward was first European scouting manager and then loan manager, before becoming assistant sporting director in 2020. After closely working alongside Michael Edwards for two years, he succeeded him in the main role, overseeing the signings of Alexis Mac Allister, Darwin Núñez, Cody Gakpo, Luis Díaz and others.
He left in 2023, but returned a year later to become technical director for Fenway Sports Group. At the time, FSG were exploring starting a multi-club ownership model, with Toulouse and Girondins de Bordeaux the club they were most interested in acquiring, but this never came to fruition.
This made it unclear exactly what Ward's role was, and how it differed to Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes' roles and responsibilities. Well, now that the 47 year old has departed to take up a similar position at Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, Ward is the main man in the boardroom once again.
This appointment has been, largely, met with positivity from those in the know. However, during his first stint as sporting director, did he make a massive mistake not pursuing Jude Bellingham?
In 2023, the midfielder left Borussia Dortmund for Real Madrid, with los Blancos paying £88 million for his signature, a fee that could rise for £115 million. However, at one stage, it appeared as though Anfield was his most likely destination.
Well, according to a new report by James Pearce of the Athletic, it was actually Ward's decision to "effectively pull the plug" on Liverpool's pursuit. According to Pearce, this was for two reasons. Firstly, he believed Bellingham's choice was to move to the Bernabéu, which is almost certainly the case. Meantime, Ward decided that, rather than spending £100m+ on one player, the club were better served spreading their resources around.
Back in the summer of 2023, Roberto Firmino, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keïta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departed, meaning the Red had to completely rebuild their midfield in particular. Dominik Szoboszlai, Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endō were all signed for a combined fee of £145 million, the first three of which remain key figures to this day.
Thus, despite the fact that Bellingham has turned into one of the best midfielders on the planet, perhaps Ward's judgement was right, with fans hoping he brings this shrewd decision making back to Merseyside.
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