
Liverpool
Premier League • England
Next Liverpool sporting director: Talks open with ‘outstanding’ candidate in move that’ll thrill Xabi Alonso

Simon Rolfes is a candidate to become Liverpool sporting director
Liverpool are reportedly set to open talks with their No 1 candidate to replace Jorg Schmadtke as sporting director in the next month and believe they have a good chance of having their new man in place soon and in a move that could have a major impact on their prospects of appointing Xabi Alonso as manager.
The Reds are entering something of a unsettling period in their history as they look to appoint not only a new sporting director – and their fourth in four seasons – but also a new manager following Jurgen Klopp’s bombshell announcement last month. Despite all the uncertainty around those two key positions, Liverpool are fully focused on ensuring their current era ends on a high note – and got that off to the best possible start on Sunday as they triumphed 1-0 over Chelsea at Wembley to win the Carabao Cup final.
The hunt to find Klopp’s successor is already well underway, though TEAMtalk exclusively revealed over the weekend that their preferred candidate in Xabi Alonso is having serious reservations over taking on the job and succeeding one of the most iconic managers in the Merseysiders’ history.
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However, Liverpool bosses are not in a hurry to go public with that new manager search and will hold off on any announcement until the current season is complete, both to ensure nothing overshadows Klopp’s bid for four trophies and also to ensure his potential successor is allowed to focus on their current job free from distraction.
Furthermore, FSG have also made clear their plans to have in place a new sporting director before any new manager announcement is made.
Liverpool ready to approach Simon Rolfes as sporting director
That hunt is also of paramount importance to the Reds, albeit one somewhat overshadowed by the departure of Klopp, with it also confirmed that Schmadtke departed Merseyside at the end of January.
A trusted ally of Klopp’s, his exit was confirmed in the hours that followed Klopp’s and is a logical one given his connections with the Reds boss.
Initially arriving on a one-year deal to replace the departing Julian Ward, who in turn stepped in for Michael Edwards, the Reds are now seeking their fourth appointment in as many years – and know they need to get that right and bring someone in capable of working in tandem with any new manager.
Per Football Insider, Liverpool want that appointment finalised within the next month and are ready to step up talks with a number of potential candidates in the hope of making an announcement soon.
To that end, the Merseysiders are being strongly linked once again with Bayer Leverkusen’s Simon Rolfes, whose outstanding recruitment at the BayArena has made a huge impact in Germany.
Indeed, between coach Alonso and their managing director of sport, Rolfes, Leverksen have made 12 signings since the former’s appointment as boss – all of which have been ranked here.
Rolfes himself recently commented on links suggesting he could replicate his partnership at Leverkusen with Alonso at Anfield and was keen to distance himself from the rumours.
“The fact that there is a lot of speculation about Bayer 04’s protagonists due to our current successes is part of the business,” Rolfes told Kicker.
“But that doesn’t change my direction. It’s not without reason that I only extended my contract in the autumn. I’m absolutely happy in Leverkusen in this constellation.”
Liverpool have other options in mind for sporting director
Rolfes, however, is not their only option, though with Italian Ricky Massara – currently on gardening leave at AC Milan – another contender in their sights.
He has caught the eye for his work at the San Siro, having been credited with the excellent additions of Theo Hernandez from Real Madrid, Rafael Leao from Lille, Ismael Bennacer from Empoli, Pierre Kalulu from Lyon, Sandro Tonali from Brescia, Mike Maignan from Lille and Fikayo Tomori from Chelsea down the years.
Massara would be able to start work immediately, which would be an added bonus for Liverpool ahead of their summer recruitment, which is likely to focus on a new centre-half to replace the ageing – and currently injured – Joel Matip.
Moreover, they also hold a small advantage given Milan being owned by RedBird Capital, a firm which also has a stake in FSG.
Other than Massara, an admirable candidate mentioned also on their radar is Florent Ghisolfi, though a couple of issues make his appointment tricky to overcome.
Firstly, he is currently employed by Nice, who are pushing for Champions League qualification from Ligue 1. Secondly, and perhaps most significantly, Nice are owned by INEOS, the new part-owners at Manchester United, meaning any approach from Liverpool is likely to be blocked by Sir Jim Ratcliffe.
Either way, Liverpool want an announcement in place soon and, if they can land Rolfes, it will seriously enhance their chances of also landing upon Alonso too.