Chelsea have reportedly opened talks to appoint Michael Edwards as their next sporting director but will face some hurdles in their attempt to do so.
According to the Daily Mail, Chelsea have initiated negotiations with former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards to appoint him in a similar role at Stamford Bridge.
Edwards brought an end to his 11-year association with Liverpool this summer. The 43-year-old had joined the Reds in 2011 as an analyst from Tottenham Hotspur and grew into the role of technical director in 2015. A year later, he was named the sporting director of Liverpool and under his guidance, the Reds made some brilliant signings.
Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Andrew Robertson are some of the players that Edwards signed while serving as sporting director at Anfield. He was also responsible for extracting huge sums from the sales of stars like Philippe Coutinho and Rhian Brewster, among several others.
Edwards left Liverpool at the end of the 2021/22 season and is currently unattached. There had been links with Manchester United initially while Chelsea also expressed an interest in his services. And the Blues have now taken their interest in the 43-year-old a step further by opening talks to hire him.
Chelsea went through a major restructure at the club this summer following the change of ownership. The Blues let go of former transfer chief Marina Granovskaia, with new owner Todd Boehly serving as the acting sporting director in the ongoing transfer window until an appointment is made.
Even though they have signed the likes of Raheem Sterling, Kalidou Koulibaly, Gabriel Slonina and Carney Chukwuemeka, Chelsea have failed to show the same level of efficiency that they operated with under Granovskaia, notably missing out on top targets like Raphinha, Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski, all of whom ended up at Barcelona.
Hence, Chelsea want to bring Edwards on board, given his reputation as a top negotiator and his ability to close deals swiftly. But, as per the report, the former Liverpool transfer guru is keen on taking a year-long break after leaving the Reds, and the Blues would have to convince him to change his stance on the matter.
Furthermore, should Edwards join, there will be questions raised about the amount of control he will be given at the club and what it might mean for other shot-callers, including manager Thomas Tuchel. So, Chelsea will have a few hurdles to cross if they wish to appoint the 43-year-old as their next sporting director.
That’s good thought