da bwin： Chelsea and Manchester United were both desperate to hire the transfer market maestro – but he's been persuaded to return to Anfield
da aviator aposta： When Michael Edwards was formally announced as Fenway Sports Group's new CEO of football on Tuesday, there was no packed press conference, no news story on Liverpool's official website, no celebratory social media post and no photograph either. But that felt fitting.
Edwards has always been one of the most media-shy figures in football, and while some Liverpool supporters might struggle to pick him out of a line-up, every single one would recognise his contribution to the club's success under Jurgen Klopp.
There was, then, no need for any fanfare. A simple statement sufficed because the significance of Edwards' return to FSG is obvious to everyone. With Klopp having already announced his intention to leave Liverpool at the end of the season, his former padel partner is unquestionably the most significant signing the club's owners will make this year.
Edwards, after all, has just been entrusted with the most difficult job in football: finding a worthy successor to a man that he himself has previously described as "a leader who will be remembered at Liverpool forever".
But when it comes to big calls, Edwards rarely errs. Indeed, his past success at Anfield is the reason why Liverpool fans are now suddenly far more optimistic about the future.
Getty Rise of 'the laptop guru'
Edwards joined Liverpool in 2011 as head of analytics and was derided in one infamous article as the "laptop guru" who had "done a number" on Brendan Rodgers after the manager's dismissal in October 2015. As it transpired, Rodgers had only himself to blame for failing to listen to Edwards' advice when it came to players such as Roberto Firmino, the multi-talented forward who was shockingly deployed at right-wing-back shortly before the Northern Irishman's exit.
By that stage, Edwards had been promoted to Liverpool's technical director, and it was he who pushed FSG to replace Rodgers with Klopp rather than Carlo Ancelotti or Eddie Howe, the other two names on the club's shortlist of potential new managers. Edwards and Klopp quickly clicked, and the former was appointed sporting director in November 2016, much to the latter's delight.
In complete contrast to Rodgers, Klopp liked the "concept of a sporting director" and said that "having worked under this model previously, I have found it to be nothing but positive and forward-thinking. Michael is absolutely the right person for this. He has the knowledge, expertise and personality to flourish in the role… This decision is hugely positive for us and it will make us better and stronger in managing the process of building and retaining playing talent at all age groups." Klopp wasn't wrong.
AdvertisementGetty'Similar opinions' on 'smart' signings
The pair formed a close working relationship – literally, with their offices adjacent to one another – and while they clashed occasionally over player recruitment, their arguments always ended amicably and, more importantly, in agreement.
It certainly helped that they shared "similar opinions" on football, as underlined by the fact that former Borussia Dortmund boss Klopp believed that ex-Hoffenheim forward Firmino – whom Edwards ended up naming his dog after – was a "smart" signing for Liverpool even before he had arrived at Anfield.
Such an obvious eye for astute acquisitions certainly helped Edwards when it came to convincing Klopp of Andy Roberton's world-class potential – and that Mohamed Salah would be a better signing than Julian Brandt. The pair also combined to great effect for the transformational transfers of Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Fabinho and Alisson Becker.
Getty Balancing the books
However, while Edwards' signings rightly drew a lot of attention, his sales also played a pivotal role in Liverpool's success. The Reds did not have anything like the same resources as Roman Abramovich's Chelsea, Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City or the commercial colossus that is Manchester United, so Liverpool always needed to balance the books – and Edwards worked wonders in that regard.
The Van Dijk and Alisson deals simply would not have been possible if Liverpool had not forced Barcelona to pay an extortionate £105 million for Philippe Coutinho, but Edwards also deserves immense credit for convincing clubs to pay over the odds for the likes of Christian Benteke, Jordon Ibe, Mamadou Sakho, Joe Allen, Kevin Stewart, Dominic Solanke, Danny Ward, Ryan Kent, Danny Ings, Rafael Camacho, Ki-Jana Hoever and Rhian Brewster.
Getty ImagesSuccess without Klopp?
When one considers that Edwards was also integral to an infrastructural overhaul at Liverpool, including the establishment of the research department, it's easy to understand why many connected with the club believe Edwards to be the second-most important factor in the Reds' revival over the past nine years, after Klopp.
The question now is whether he can replicate that success without Klopp – the most complete manager in modern football, as Edwards knows only too well. The reason why he threw his weight behind Klopp in 2015 was because the ex-BVB boss ticked every box. He had enjoyed success in Europe, had proven he could beat teams with bigger budgets, and had an exemplary track record when it came to improving players.
Liverpool could not have hoped for a better manager, either. He understood the club, the city and its people from the moment he arrived at Anfield. Furthermore, as this season has underlined, Klopp is not merely a charismatic master of motivation. He's also a tactical genius capable of not just reading games, but changing them with formation switches and substitutions.
Less than a year after revamping his entire midfield, Klopp has won a Carabao Cup with kids and somehow kept a injury-ravaged squad fighting on four fronts. Even if Liverpool don't end up winning the Premier League, it will be difficult trying to convince anyone to try to follow a veritable miracle-worker!
But if anyone can, it's Edwards, a transfer market maestro that both Manchester United and Chelsea were unsurprisingly desperate to hire. Seriously, what coach wouldn't relish working under a director renowned for making one successful signing after another.