Julian Ward set to return as Liverpool sporting director in FSG internal appointment

Fenway Sports Group are poised to appoint Julian Ward as Liverpool’s new sporting director, ending a search triggered by Richard Hughes’s departure earlier this month, according to a report from The Athletic.

Ward, who has been at the club since 2012, will move from his current role as FSG technical director back to Anfield, with a process overseen by FSG president Mike Gordon now nearing its conclusion. The 43-year-old previously served as Liverpool’s sporting director following Michael Edwards’s exit in the summer of 2022, before stepping down at the end of the 2022/23 season in a move that surprised the club’s hierarchy.

He returned to the FSG structure in 2024, where he has been responsible for player development pathways and the academy. That experience, combined with his deep institutional knowledge, appears to have convinced FSG to look inward rather than pursue an external candidate.

Hughes left Liverpool earlier this month to join Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal after two years in the role, during which he oversaw the high-profile arrivals of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola. His exit followed that of Edwards, who stepped down as FSG’s chief executive officer of football in July, compounding a period of significant structural upheaval at the club. A consortium including Amazon founder Jeff Bezos also acquired a third of Liverpool during the same period.

FSG did consider external options before settling on Ward, with Brentford technical director Lee Dykes among those spoken to. Ultimately, the group opted for continuity. David Woodfine will remain as assistant sporting director, reporting to Ward, while Pedro Marques — himself a candidate for the top role and a close colleague of Ward — will stay as FSG’s director of football development.

During his first spell as sporting director, Ward was instrumental in the signings of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, and also finalised the deal for Alexis Mac Allister, remaining beyond his planned exit date to complete the transfer from Brighton.

Ward will now inherit a squad shaped partly by a summer window that drew scrutiny for its slow pace, despite the late additions of Victor Munoz, Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo alongside the £123 million capture of Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain.