Liverpool fail in bid to bring key man back to Anfield, amid Jurgen Klopp exit bombshell: report

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Liverpool are having to prepare for a new era after Klopp's shock announcement last week

KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool addresses the media at a club press conference ahead of the Emirates FA Cup tie with Norwich City at AXA Training Centre on January 26, 2024 in Kirkby, England. The club and Jurgen Klopp announced earlier in the day that he was to leave the club at end of the current season bringing an end to his successful nine year spell at the club. (Photo by Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Liverpool reportedly made an audacious attempt to re-appoint former sporting director Michael Edwards over the weekend, following Jurgen Klopp's shock announcement that he would be leaving the Reds this summer.

Edwards spent 11 years at Anfield, working as head of analytics before becoming Liverpool's first ever sporting director.

In the latter role, Edwards oversaw some of the Reds' most important signings of the modern era, including Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson – all of whom starred in the 2018/19 Champions League and 2019/20 Premier League triumphs under Klopp.

Michael Edwards, Jurgen Klopp and Mike Gordon, Liverpool, December 2019

Edwards (left) was Liverpool's sporting director for five-and-a-half years (Image credit: Getty Images)

Edwards stepped down and left Liverpool at the end of the 2021/22 season, later returning to football with Ludonautics, a sporting advisory service launched by the Reds' former director of research, Ian Graham, which currently works with League One club Bolton Wanderers.

However, in the wake of Klopp's stunning announcement that he would be departing his position as manager at the end of the season, Liverpool tried to lure Edwards back to Anfield – according to transfer supremo Fabrizio Romano on X.

Romano claims that the Reds' owners, Fenway Sports Group (FSG), wanted the 44-year-old to oversee the club's restructure post-Klopp. Edwards, though, is said to be 'uninterested' in taking on a senior role with the Merseyside giants.

KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JANUARY 26: Jurgen Klopp of Liverpool addresses the media at a club press conference ahead of the Emirates FA Cup tie with Norwich City at AXA Training Centre on January 26, 2024 in Kirkby, England. The club and Jurgen Klopp announced earlier in the day that he was to leave the club at end of the current season bringing an end to his successful nine year spell at the club. (Photo by Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Klopp put his decision to quit down to "running out of energy" (Image credit: Getty Images)

When Klopp leaves his post in a matter of months' time, it's inevitable that many of his backroom staff will follow him out of the door.

It has already been confirmed that assistant manager Pep Lijnders and sporting director Jorg Schmadtke – who only took up his role in May last year – will be moving on.

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Tom Hancock
Tom Hancock

Tom Hancock started freelancing for FourFourTwo in April 2019 and has also written for the Premier League and Opta Analyst, among others. He supports Wycombe Wanderers and has a soft spot for Wealdstone. A self-confessed statto, he has been known to watch football with a spreadsheet (or several) open...