Liverpool will not allow their transfer plans to be derailed by Julian Ward's exit - even though they acknowledge his departure is a sucker punch.
Ward will leave his role as sporting director next summer, just one season after succeeding Michael Edwards in the role. After 10 years of service at Anfield, he is said to want a break from football - reasoning which the Reds can understand but has still left them disappointed.
Ward has impressed since taking up the sporting director mantle, signing Luis Diaz in January and Darwin Nunez in the summer while also tying down Mohamed Salah to a new contract. News that he is leaving came as a 'significant blow' for Liverpool, who are already in the midst of uncertainty with owner Fenway Sports Group willing to sell the club.
