Liverpool have moved a step closer to appointing Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director after receiving Jurgen Klopp's seal of approval.
Liverpool's current sporting director Julian Ward will step down from his position this summer, just a year after succeeding the hugely successful Michael Edwards in the role. The club's hierarchy are keen to fill the vacancy before the transfer window re-opens.
If talks continue to progress as expected, Schmadtke will sign a contract until June 2026, with Klopp's contract expiring in the same month. The Liverpool boss is believed to be an admirer of Schmadtke, who is a well-respected figure in German football.
As reported by the Daily Mail, Liverpool's hierarchy will enter advanced negotiations with Schmadtke shortly. News of the 59-year-old's appointment is now expected imminently, with the transfer window re-opening in just under two months' time.
This summer will be crucial to Liverpool's hopes of success next season. Klopp's side are fifth in the Premier League, one point behind Manchester United in fourth having played a game more, and could miss out on Champions League football next term.
Klopp's squad needs to be revamped to make them successful again. Liverpool's form this season has come as a shock after winning the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup - among other honours - in recent years.
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Liverpool have considered a number of candidates for the role, including Monaco's Paul Mitchell. Ward, who had been linked with a similar job at Ajax, announced his desire to leave Anfield in November. He was Edwards' deputy before stepping up into the role.
If a deal can be agreed, Schmadtke will work alongside long-serving employees Dave Fallows and Barry Hunter in Liverpool's recruitment team. The priority will be to sign a new central midfielder, with Mason Mount and Alexis Mac Allister on their shortlist.
Schmadtke pursued a career as a football executive after playing for Fortuna Dusseldorf, Freiburg, Bayer Leverkusen and Borussia Monchengladbach as a goalkeeper. He hung up his gloves in 1998 and became Alemannia Aachen's sporting director three years later.
Aachen were riddled with debt when Schmadtke was appointed but sensationally reached the German Cup final as a second tier club in 2004, narrowly losing 3-2 to Werder Bremen. They followed that up by achieving promotion to the Bundesliga in 2006.
Schmadtke became Hannover's sporting director in 2009 and helped them qualify for the UEFA Cup during his four years at the Niedersachsenstadion. He then joined Koln in 2013 and played an important role in their promotion to the Bundesliga a year later.
Schmadtke was appointed as Wolfsburg's sporting director in 2018 but is available after resigning in February. He said at the time: "I’ve been doing all this for so long and I’ve realised that it’s time to end this chapter. There are other things in life that I would like to do. First and foremost I think of my wife, my family, who had to put back many years."
