It came as no surprise to hear of interest in Liverpool's soon-to-be-vacant sporting director role being made public this week.
Barely a week on from the news that Julian Ward was set to step down next summer after just a year in the job, news started to filter through from Germany about his potential successor.
Sven Mislintat is keen to throw his hat into the ring it seems and as far as sporting director gigs go in football, Liverpool's is surely one of the most coveted. So given Jurgen Klopp 's links with the former Borussia Dortmund talent-spotter, it was no real shock to see that particular story surface on Wednesday.
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Mislintat worked with Klopp at BVB between 2008 and 2015, where he oversaw Dortmund's policy of signing young and relatively unknown players before selling them on for profits after plenty of development under the coaching guidance of the current Reds manager.
During their time together, the pair had a hand in the rise of names like Mats Hummels, Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gunodgan. In a way, the success of Klopp's working relationship with Mislintat at Dortmund bears a resemblance to the one he shared with Michael Edwards during a period when so many players established themselves world-class operators at Anfield.
The Mislintat reports make plenty of sense then, even if Liverpool sources are adamant that it is far too early to be speaking about Ward's successor when he has over six months left before he walks away.
It's shaping up to be a busy few weeks for the Reds as they get set to fly to Dubai before a jam-packed fixture schedule returns just before Christmas at Manchester City in the Carabao Cup. Concerns over the identity of their third sporting director in a little over a year have been parked for now.
Mislintat has made known his willingness to discuss the position, but it is something that is being placed on the backburner for now as far as Liverpool are concerned. A bigger priority is what Ward and the rest of the recruitment team are planning for a January that could make or break as far as top-four hopes go.
It was interesting to note reports from elsewhere this week on that front as the Boston Globe - a publication owned by John W Henry - reported that owners Fenway Sports Group were now leaning towards the sale of a minority stake in Liverpool, with any capital raised set to be used for "player acquisition and capital improvements".
For portions of the fanbase disgruntled with the lack of investment in the squad at certain junctures, that will be a hugely welcome development, but it also speaks to how well run the club has been that the biggest issue at Anfield are rudimentary complaints around transfer expenditure.
Every other area of the club is on a stable footing, even if a rocky three-month period between August and November has expedited the need for significant investment, particularly in midfield.
With that much uncertainty surrounding the club at present the need to search for a replacement for Ward, who doesn't leave until the end of this season, should not be considered a primary concern for now.
With the chance to work side by side with a manager as revered as Klopp and a recruitment team that have become the envy of European football over the past five years, the vacant role is one that will attract intense interest across the continent.
For now, though, Liverpool supporters need to place trust in Klopp's hands to appoint the right successor when the time is right. With more pressing concerns for the club right now, that is something that does not need to be announced anytime soon.
Until then, expect the hopefuls to continue making their interest known.
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