Manchester United are reportedly looking to bring in outgoing Liverpool transfer guru Michael Edwards, who is also being chased by Chelsea.
According to the Daily Mail, Manchester United are set to rival Chelsea in pursuit of Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards, who will be stepping down from his duties at the end of this month.
Edwards joined Liverpool over a decade ago as a chief analyst and has grown into the role of the sporting director, having been in charge of the club’s transfer dealings since 2016. The 43-year-old has built a great reputation for himself with the operations he has completed at Anfield.
Indeed, Edwards facilitated deals for Liverpool to sign the likes of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Alisson and Andrew Robertson, among many other players who have grown into top players for the Reds. He was also responsible for extracting a massive sum of over £140 million from Barcelona for the sale of Philippe Coutinho over four years ago.
Edwards has announced his departure from Anfield this summer, with his contract expiring on June 30. Julian Ward has taken over the reins from the 43-year-old. And the former’s availability this summer has alerted several top clubs from across Europe to consider hiring him, with Chelsea and Manchester United among them.
Chelsea are going through a complete shake-up of their management following the takeover by the consortium led by Todd Boehly. Bruce Buck has stepped down as chairman, while the Blues have also confirmed the departure of transfer chief Marina Granovskaia, although she will continue to assist the club through the ongoing transfer window.
Boehly and his partners are now looking at naming a new sporting director and have even approached Michael Edwards over a possible appointment. However, reports claim that Chelsea have been rebuffed by the 43-year-old.
While Chelsea remain interested, Manchester United are also looking at Edwards as they also go through some major changes in their backroom. Richard Arnold has taken over as the CEO after Ed Woodward stepped down, while John Murtough has been made in charge of the transfer dealings, with Andy O’Boyle recently appointed as the deputy football director.
However, Manchester United, who have made conducted some very poor transfer business in recent years, remain keen on bringing in someone of Edwards’ proven pedigree and track record. However, given his ties with Liverpool, it is unlikely that the 43-year-old would be open to considering a move to a direct rival.
Apart from Edwards, Manchester United are also looking at Lee Dykes, who is the director of recruitment at Brentford, along with Middlesbrough’s head of football, Kieron Scott. It remains to be seen if the Red Devils, who also brought in a new manager this summer in Erik ten Hag, make a fresh appointment to their transfer department.
