Just like new Liverpool signings, Julian Ward doesn't need much time to get his feet under the table in a new job either.
The Reds' newly-appointed sporting director replaced former boss Michael Edwards this summer, with his predecessor having built up a sparkling CV throughout manager Jurgen Klopp 's glittering reign on Merseyside. Edwards steered the club's recruitment and transformed them into the one of the most well-oiled Premier League machines, putting pressure on his successor - formerly his No.2 - to continue the trend.
When the time came for Edwards to wave goodbye to Liverpool, Ward was an easy pick, backed up by his hard work alongside Edwards in recent years. Slowly being handed more control over the course of last season, the 41-year-old was believed to be chiefly responsible for the negotiations which saw Luis Diaz arrive from Porto late in the January transfer window.
The Colombian began life on Merseyside like a rocket, easing into Klopp's side like he'd been at Anfield all his career. Diaz, of course, would be the first of seven noteworthy deals done under Ward's watch, with Fabio Carvalho 's £5m signing being wrapped up before the end of their quadruple-chasing campaign.
Then came Darwin Nunez for a whopping £85m, a new club-record. Likely to be the new addition most associated with Ward during his early years at the helm, Klopp has already been delivered a fresh-looking forward line by the John Moores University alumni, with the departure of Sadio Mane to Bayern Munich another major decision by the club following six years of excellent service.
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Sentiment aside banking £34m for a 30-year-old with only 12 months left on his contract is certainly savvy business, particularly given that it seemed to prompt Mohamed Salah to finally sign a new big-money three-year contract. Now the club's highest paid player in their illustrious history, Ward's work has made sure that Liverpool won't caught be in a sticky situation something which would've have undoubtedly marred their 2022-23 term, as his previously deal was also up next summer like Mane's.
One a smaller scale, young right-back Calvin Ramsay's potential £6.5m move from Aberdeen could one day look like an Andy Robertson -esque bargain, while Takumi Minamino 's departure to Monaco for £12.9m up front looks like more of the smart sales which we saw while Edwards was in charge... and which have underpinned the Reds transformation under Klopp.
Spending an initial £110m, bringing in to £50.5m and ending the Salah saga, Ward's tenure is off to a fine start. While the Reds don't boast the regular spending power of rivals Manchester City, Manchester United or Chelsea, it appears that they've got themselves another shrewd operater who knows how to work a budget and get deals done.
