Liverpool and their off-field transition is set to continue with one director set for a move to Ajax.
The Reds are enduring a tough season, finding themselves midtable with the club now put up for sale by US ownership, Fenway Sports Group. Former sporting director Michael Edwards left Merseyside last summer after a prolific stint handling transfers, with some questioning the new regime.
Liverpool's buys this season, including Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Cody Gakpo, have had mixed fortunes. Assistant manager Pep Lijnders has been credited with an ever-increasing influence at Anfield, too.
Now, reports suggest that current director Julian Ward – who only joined Liverpool in the summer – is a target for Ajax. Ward resigned from the Reds in November, surprising Jurgen Klopp among others and is working his notice until the end of the season.
“It was a surprise when Julian told me,” Klopp said in December. “But we’ll work completely normal together until the day that he leaves. Julian is 100 per cent committed and everything is fine.
“We never had a problem and will not have a problem. He told me after the Southampton game and it was a surprise at that moment. That’s his decision and it’s okay. It will have no impact for this period, not at all.”
The current situation at Liverpool, both on and off the field is now particularly uncertain. Ward's departure, FSG's stance to sell the club and Klopp coming under fire as manager all put question marks over the three biggest off-field figures, while the Reds have five players out of contract in the summer, in James Milner, Roberto Firmino, Adrian, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.
Plenty more of Liverpool's stars are over 30 too, including Milner, Firmino, Adrian, Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Joel Matip, Thiago, Jordan Henderson, with Fabinho next to hit the milestone in October.
It could well be that the Merseysiders face a full rebuild behind the scenes this summer with some new faces joining between now and then to oversee the process.
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