Jorg Schmadtke was probably still thumbing through his new-starter pack as a Liverpool employee when the transfer links began to rage on Tuesday.
Just a few hours after the club had announced that he would be taking over from Julian Ward as the Reds' new sporting director from June 1, the speculation started to spread from all over Europe and beyond.
In Germany, the influential Sport BILD reported that "Liverpool have entered the poker game" for Borussia Monchengladbach's Manu Kone by contacting the player's representatives to register both their admiration and interest in the 22-year-old.
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Schmadtke is viewed as an important figure in Germany due to his legendary playing career as a goalkeeper and then his success as a sporting director at various clubs including Wolfsburg, most recently and Liverpool's new man will be well aware of Kone's ability.
BILD, however, also reported that interest in the Gladbach star pre-dates the new sporting director's arrival, writing: "Even before Schmadtke took office, Liverpool were already inquiring about the price," which is reportedly set at somewhere around the £40m mark.
In France, Liverpool's name was then brought up in connection with Nice's Khephren Thuram, who is said to be valued at around £50m.
"In search of at least two players in the midfield this summer, Liverpool have begun steps to recruit French international midfielder Khephren Thuram," wrote L'Equipe, another major European outlet of football news.
Back in England and Liverpool were reported to be in a four-way race for Southampton's Romeo Lavia after his excellent individual campaign at St Mary's, despite their relegation.
Lavia only joined the Saints from Manchester City last year but the 19-year-old impressed in his first full campaign in senior football. Already a Belgium international, the teenager's performances since his £10m switch to the south coast in the summer of 2022 have seen the Premier League giants begin to circle.
Liverpool are one of a number of clubs keeping an eye on the £40m-rated midfielder and a report in Football Insider suggested Chelsea, Arsenal and Lavia's former club Man City are all taking a closer look ahead of a potential move in the transfer window.
The links to Lavia come just a few days after the same publication claimed Wolves captain Ruben Neves was the object of Liverpool's affection. The Reds, who enjoy a good relationship with the Portugal international's agency, Gestifute, have, according to the report, been asked to be kept up to date with developments on the 26-year-old's future as he potentially gets set to leave Molineux.
Meanwhile, over in Brazil, a report from GOAL has claimed Liverpool and Barcelona are showing an interest in Newcastle United talisman Bruno Guimaraes, writing: "Barca and the Reds have made contact in order to seek information about the Brazilian's situation at St. James Park."
If Schmadtke wasn't already aware about the size and scale of the club he has just joined, then a cursory glance at the transfer gossip columns might well have hammered home that point emphatically. This, without question, is his biggest and most high-profile role to date.
The 59-year-old retired earlier this year but was coaxed out of it by the allure of working at a club the size of Liverpool and if he had been able to work in relative obscurity at places like Aachen, Koln and Hannover before his four-year stint at Wolfsburg, Schmadtke will enjoy no such luxury during his time at the AXA Training Centre.
What won't have escaped eagle-eyed supporters keen to keep up to date with the developments is that Liverpool are being linked, almost exclusively now, to midfielders. It's football's worst-kept secret that the Reds are targeting an engine room rebuild and after stepping away from a pursuit of Jude Bellingham in favour of spreading their budget across a handful of other options, it's now open season with regards to the transfer talk.
Add in the fact that Jurgen Klopp is keen to wrap up his business sooner rather than later and it is no surprise to see reports springing up left and right in recent days. It is something Schmadtke will have to get used to, even if the level of interest far exceeds what he will have been used to previously.
'Spinning plates' has been the phrase repeatedly used around Liverpool's summer transfer business in recent months and the upcoming window will mark a shift in strategy at Anfield given the pool of talent capable of improving the team is perhaps deeper than it has been in the last five years or so.
After an underwhelming campaign, at best, the need to rejuvenate is an obvious one, so while Klopp has become famed for his steadfast insistence and patience when it comes to landing his No.1 targets for certain areas, there is likely to be a bit more room to manoeuvre with regards midfielders this summer.
Alexis Mac Allister of Brighton remains the priority, while efforts have been undertaken behind the scenes to sound out Chelsea's Mason Mount and though Schmadtke will officially get to work on June 1, there has been ample groundwork laid by those already at the club to ensure Klopp gets the right players through the door this summer.
Before that happens, however, Schmadtke will have to get used to a whole new level of scrutiny and interest.
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