Julian Ward has set out his stall as Liverpool’s returning sporting director, emphasising the club’s continued ambition whilst acknowledging the transition underway. “This is an exciting period for Liverpool – on and off the pitch – in which change and opportunity go hand in hand,” Ward said.
Ward returns to the role after Richard Hughes’s move to Saudi club Al-Hilal. Among his early priorities is resolving contract situations for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker, both in the final year of their deals. Van Dijk, 35, remains captain and central to Arne Slot’s plans, whilst Alisson continues to be regarded as one of the club’s greatest goalkeepers despite Giorgi Mamardashvili and Lucca Brughmans arriving in the pipeline.
Ward must also secure Rio Ngumoha’s future. The 18-year-old winger’s representatives are in talks over improved terms and length following his August birthday, though no deal has yet been announced. Ngumoha recently became England’s third-youngest competitive cap holder, behind only Jude Bellingham and Wayne Rooney.
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