There is change afoot at Fenway Sports Group and seismic upheaval on its way to Liverpool and yet, paradoxically, the club's owner has ensured there will be a degree of stability on offer to Jürgen Klopp's successor this summer with the rehiring of Michael Edwards. FSG's persistent sales pitch to the club's former sporting director underlines the belief in Boston there was only one candidate who could minimise disruption while expanding the company's horizons.
Edwards returns as FSG's chief executive officer of football - note, not Liverpool's CEO of football - two years after stepping down as sporting director following a decade of outstanding service at Anfield. The 44-year-old's success rate in the previous role presents an obvious case for his re-employment. There was the appointment of Klopp for a start, who sparked not only the club's transformation but the revision of Edwards's and FSG's own reputations among a previously sceptical Liverpool support.
There were the signings that turned Liverpool into champions after a 30-year wait - Mohamed Salah, whom Edwards consistently pushed for when Klopp wanted Julian Brandt, Roberto Firmino, Andy Robertson - and the sales that funded FSG's vision for self-sustained success. The headline figure remains Philippe Coutinho, bought for £8.5m and sold for a now scarcely believable £142m, enabling Liverpool to add the finishing touches in Virgil van Dijk and Alisson, but impressive proceeds for fringe players such as Jordon Ibe, Dominic Solanke and Danny Ward also enhanced Edwards' standing.
This story is from the March 13, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
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This story is from the March 13, 2024 edition of The Guardian.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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