Liverpool’s sporting director Jorg Schmadtke is still involved at the club, with recent links to a potential replacement denied by “senior Anfield figures.”
Schmadtke was appointed on an interim basis back in May on a year-long contract, with both parties able to end the deal prematurely after three months.
The German has now surpassed that period, but question marks remain over the longer-term future of the position.
Bild reported last week that the Reds are “looking into” the possibility of bringing in Max Eberl for the job, who left his role as sporting director at RB Leipzig last month.
The Athletic‘s James Pearce has since indicated that there is little to be read into those reports, writing that people at the club have “played down” the stories.
Pearce has suggested that Schmadtke remains an important part of the club’s approach to transfers despite the uncertainty, saying: “All parties agreed to sit down after the end of the transfer window to assess the summer and how the arrangement was working out.
“Schmadtke spoke about how they might just shake hands at that stage and agree to go their separate ways. That he remains in the role is a testament to how highly his contribution over the past four and a half months is valued.”
Eberl was said to be seen as an alternative to Schmadtke, with Liverpool’s summer business coming in for some criticism after failed attempts to land Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo.
Pearce added that “senior Anfield figures” have been quick to dismiss the reports linking Eberl to the club after he left his previous post due to “failure to commit” amid Bayern Munich rumours.
“Senior Anfield figures have played down reports in Germany that Max Eberl is being considered for the job following his departure from RB Leipzig,” he continued.
“Eberl was recently dismissed from his role of managing director for sport at the Bundesliga club due to “his failure to commit to the club” after being strongly linked with a move to Bayern Munich.”
It is currently unclear how long Schmadtke is likely to remain at Liverpool, but it certainly appears that his influence behind the scenes remains palpable.
Eberl’s links to the German champions may yet come to fruition, but for the time being it is Schmadtke who is still at the forefront of the Reds’ transfer negotiations.
