Rivals want Liverpool’s transfer guru
United and Chelsea eyeing the man who brought in Salah, Van Dijk and Robertson
MANCHESTER United and Chelsea are interested in Liverpool’s transfer guru Michael Edwards as the Premier League giants look to strengthen their recruitment operations.
United are revamping their set-up under football director John Murtough and sources claim Edwards, who is leaving Liverpool this summer, is of interest.
Whether he is open to joining United given his ties to their rivals remains to be seen. But it is easy to see why United are attracted to Edwards given the success he has had at Anfield.
He joined Liverpool in 2011 as head of analytics before a number of promotions saw him take up the role of sporting director. Edwards, 42, became a pivotal figure in transforming the club into Premier League and European champions.
Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Andy Robertson, Thiago and Fabinho are among the many players he played a key role in bringing to Anfield.
Equally impressive were some of the fees he secured from sales, including the £146million Barcelona splurged on Brazil’s Philippe Coutinho.
For now, though, United are focused on strengthening their squad, with Murtough leading that process — Barcelona’s Frenkie de Jong and Villarreal’s Pau Torres are among the club’s targets.
But while an addition to the recruitment team is not thought to be imminent, it is felt behind the scenes that United are constantly surveying the footballing landscape in search of improvements.
They have carried out a number of changes to their off-field operation since last year, including the appointment of Richard Arnold as chief executive. More recently, Andy O’Boyle was named United’s deputy football director, providing support to Murtough to drive ‘the club’s football strategy across the first team, academy and women’s team’.
United are not the only top-flight club interested in Edwards after Chelsea approached him about becoming their next sporting director.
It is understood that Chelsea’s new owners, Todd Boehly and Clearlake Capital, have explored the possibility of appointing Edwards to a senior recruitment position after confirming the departure yesterday of director Marina Granovskaia. She will, however, remain available to the club for the rest of the window.
Sportsmail has learned that Edwards also attracted interest from Ajax this year following the departure of Marc Overmars.
However, Edwards is understood to be hesitant about making such a swift return to football after leaving Liverpool this summer with a view to taking a break from the game.
Chelsea have also been linked with Atletico Madrid’s Andrea Berta, while former Barcelona technical secretary Ramon Planes, Monaco transfer chief Paul Mitchell and former Tottenham performance director Steve Hitchen may also emerge as candidates.
The prospect of a return for Michael Emenalo, who left his role as technical director in 2017, should not be discounted.