Liverpool's Search for Sporting Director: Internal or External?
Liverpool’s search for a new sporting director has moved into a decisive phase, with the club sounding out external candidates while increasingly leaning towards a solution from within Anfield’s own corridors of power.
Talks have been held with Brentford technical director Lee Dykes, one of several figures Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have spoken to as they assess the market. Dykes has earned a strong reputation for his role in Brentford’s rise and consolidation as a Premier League side since their promotion in 2021, having joined the west London club in May 2019 and helped underpin their smart, data-led recruitment.
Yet the mood at Liverpool points in a different direction.
Julian Ward, currently the club’s technical director, is understood to be a leading contender to replace Richard Hughes, whose departure for Al-Hilal was confirmed at the start of the month. An internal appointment is thought to be the preferred route, with Ward’s familiarity with Liverpool’s structures, processes and long-term planning seen as a major advantage at a time when continuity carries real weight.
FSG president Mike Gordon is driving the process, sounding out options and testing the market while keeping the internal pathway firmly open. Liverpool have not limited their external checks to Dykes alone; other candidates have been spoken to as part of a thorough search designed to benchmark the club’s current model against some of the most admired operators in the game.
Among those admired is Brentford sporting director Phil Giles. His work alongside Dykes has helped turn Brentford into one of the Premier League’s most resourceful and resilient clubs. Prising Giles away from west London, though, is expected to be extremely difficult, given his senior role and the stability he enjoys at the Bees.
So Liverpool stand at a familiar crossroads: the allure of fresh ideas from outside versus the security of a figure who already knows every layer of the club. With Gordon steering the process and Ward strongly positioned, the decision will shape not only the next transfer window, but the direction of the Anfield project for years to come.
