Having come out of retirement to join Liverpool as sporting director at the start of the month, it was inevitable Jorg Schmadtke would be linked with moves for some of the players he has previously worked with.
Schmadtke retired in January but was coaxed out of it by the lure of succeeding Julian Ward at Anfield and the former Wolfsburg man now faces the most sizable task of his career after signing a short-term deal to oversee the restructuring this summer.
Links have raged all month following Schmadtke's appointment, with one in particular arriving from his homeland regarding Wolfsburg's pacey defender Micky van de Ven.
Van de Ven has been linked with a switch to Merseyside amid reports Liverpool are assessing the merits of a host of young centre-backs this summer. With the likes of Khephren Thuram (22), Manue Kone (22), Gabri Veiga (21), Ryan Gravenberch (21) and Romeo Lavia (19) all under consideration as part of a midfield rebuild, the Reds have clearly outlined a younger profile this summer following the initial capture of Alexis Mac Allister, who turned 24 on Christmas Eve.
The man who replaced Schmadtke at Wolfsburg says he has kept in touch with Liverpool's new sporting director but steered clear of speculation surrounding Van de Ven and a possible move to Anfield.
Marcel Schafer was appointed Schmadtke's successor earlier this year after the 59-year-old had initially announced his retirement, which came into effect on February 1.
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Schafer worked under Schmadtke for a number of years, establishing a close relationship with the current Reds chief in the process and the 38-year-old has tipped his former boss to make a success of it at Anfield after his short-term contract was signed for him to start at the beginning of June.
Liverpool are almost certain to have scouts at the Under-21 European Championships, which get underway in Georgia and Romania on Wednesday night, and while the talent-spotters will be running the rule over Gravenberch when Netherlands are in action this week, Van de Ven is also expected to be part of the action.
“Micky has played a fantastic season," Van de Ven's agent, Jose Fortes Rodriguez, was recently quoted as saying. "There are many clubs that are interested. It would be stupid to say now that he will definitely stay in Wolfsburg. Anything can happen this summer.
“A player like Micky, who has developed so well – the calls from the clubs come automatically. I am asked: What is the situation? Do we have a chance? As I said, anything can happen this summer. It could be that he leaves. But if the right club doesn’t come along, why shouldn’t Micky stay in Wolfsburg?”
Speaking to Wolfsburger Allgmeine in a recent chat, Schafer sidestepped talk of Van de Ven leaving to join Jurgen Klopp's team, although the Wolfsburg negotiator did concede Schmadtke's inside knowledge of the squad he helped piece together gives him an advantage in any chase for the young Dutch defender.
"I haven't thought about [Van de Ven's future] yet," Schafer said in an interview published earlier this month. "Now you can say that Jorg knows our squad best of all because he put it together in his four and a half years here. I can't judge whether a player is interesting for his new club.
"We didn't even talk about it in our conversations. But one thing is clear: we have our hands on all the players. We are now approaching a summer transfer period, so there is always a lot of speculation. For us as those responsible, this is everyday life - and we take note of one or the other speculation with a smile. Not more."
Despite that particular stance from the Bundesliga club, there has been an increasing acceptance in Germany that Van de Ven could be set for pastures new this coming summer.
"He's not one of those crest-smooches who want to suggest to the fans that the club means everything to them and that they would never leave – and then run away," wrote Wolfsburg reporter Engelbert Hensel this week. "On the contrary, Van de Ven honestly says that he dreams of the Premier League and Liverpool.
"Of course, one or the other fan will be fed up with the ongoing speculation about the future of the VfL defensive missile. But if we're honest, speculation about van de Ven's future has been around for half a year. Did that weaken him in the second half of the season? No. The 22-year-old openly says that he can imagine a change."
With the legwork behind the capture of Mac Allister being undertaken by former incumbent Ward and the rest of the Reds' recruitment department, Schmadtke was given something of a formal handover of responsibilities following the Argentina World Cup winner's arrival earlier this month.
Since then, there has been little reported about genuine progress as Liverpool continue assessing their next move while the majority of their targets are in action for the national teams at the U21s competition.
It's believed Schmadtke was recommended to Liverpool by Klopp's agent Marc Kosicke back in April as they continued to search for someone to come into the role that would be vacated by Ward's imminent exit.
The legendary former goalkeeper has developed something of a fearsome and vaunted reputation for his work at clubs like Aachen, Hannover, Koln and Wolfsburg but it's fair to say little was known about him in Reds circles when it became clear he was in the frame to succeed Ward.
“We often exchange ideas," added Schafer. "So I know how much he was looking forward to the time after football. He always left a back door open because you never know what might come next.
"Jorg is someone who makes a decision with the utmost conviction. For him, this is a luxury situation - on the one hand he could have continued to enjoy his free time, on the other hand this is something extraordinary and a great recognition of his work. He has chosen this task, I am really happy for him. Liverpool is one of the best clubs in the world."
Now three weeks into the role, it's been a soft launch so far for Schmadtke as Liverpool fans wait patiently for the major breakthroughs in the great summer rebuild.
