Liverpool Set to Appoint Julian Ward as Sporting Director Again

Liverpool are set to appoint Julian Ward as the club’s new sporting director, returning him to a role he last held during the 2022-23 season, according to a report by The Athletic published on September 22, 2026. Ward, currently Fenway Sports Group’s technical director, has emerged as FSG’s preferred candidate to succeed Richard Hughes, who officially departed the club on September 5, 2026, following the closure of the summer transfer window.

The 45-year-old executive is described by The Athletic as the outstanding continuity candidate, given his prior familiarity with Liverpool’s recruitment structures and his existing relationships inside the FSG hierarchy. ESPN reported on September 23, 2026, that Liverpool are “closing in” on the appointment, citing sources close to the process, while CaughtOffside reported the same day that journalist David Ornstein had claimed Ward was returning to the role for a second spell.

Who Is Julian Ward and Why Liverpool Are Turning Back to Him

Ward is not a new face at Anfield. According to The Athletic, he first joined Liverpool from Manchester City in 2012 as a European scouting manager covering Spain and Portugal, before being promoted in 2015 to loan pathways and football partnerships manager. He rose through the club’s football operations department for a decade before being appointed sporting director in 2022, a post he held for a single season before departing in 2023 and being succeeded by Jorg Schmadtke and later Hughes.

During that first spell as sporting director, Ward oversaw the signings of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez, according to BBC Sport. He is also credited with helping broker contract extensions for several of the club’s most important players, including Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai. Since leaving Liverpool, Ward has served as FSG’s technical director, a group-wide advisory role spanning the ownership group’s broader sporting interests.

“I think Julian Ward stands a really good chance” of taking over the sporting director post, Ornstein said, according to a report published by This Is Anfield on September 9, 2026, when Ward was first identified as a serious internal contender following Hughes’ looming exit. The Athletic’s earlier September 8 assessment of Liverpool’s search similarly noted that “Ward has to be viewed as the outstanding candidate if [FSG chairman Tom] Werner wants some continuity” — a framing that has only strengthened as the process has advanced toward its conclusion.

Timeline: From Hughes’ Exit to Ward’s Emergence as Frontrunner

The search for Liverpool’s next sporting director has moved quickly once the summer transfer window closed. Below is the sequence of events as reported by BBC Sport, The Athletic, ESPN and other outlets:

Hughes’ departure came shortly after the summer transfer window closed with winger Bradley Barcola as Liverpool’s headline arrival, according to Yahoo Sports. BBC Sport reported at the time of Hughes’ exit that the club’s recruitment leadership had cycled through several names in recent years: Michael Edwards left the sporting director post in 2022 and was replaced by Ward, who himself was replaced in 2023 by Schmadtke, before Hughes arrived in 2024.

The Immediate In-Tray: Van Dijk’s Contract and a Wave of 2027 Expiries

Whoever takes over the sporting director role inherits an urgent squad-planning problem centred on captain Virgil van Dijk, who is out of contract at the end of the current season. BBC Sport’s pre-appointment analysis of Liverpool’s transfer in-tray flagged Van Dijk’s situation alongside at least five other contracts expiring next summer, with goalkeeper Alisson also named among that group.

Van Dijk’s importance to the dressing room was underlined this month when he praised the form of young centre-back partner Jeremy Jacquet, saying the teenager has made an “excellent start” while cautioning that “we are only in September” — a reminder from the captain himself that the club is still early in a long campaign even as its boardroom searches for stability. Van Dijk has also recently committed to continuing his Netherlands international career for a further two years, a decision described in Dutch and English media as a “massive” one given his age and the additional call-up workload it will bring alongside his club commitments.

Given that Ward was the executive who previously helped extend Van Dijk’s contract during his first spell in the role, according to reporting on his prior signings and renewals, his return is being read by several outlets as a signal that Liverpool want continuity in exactly the kind of senior-player negotiations now facing the club. Liverpool full-back Andy Robertson has separately spoken about the emotional weight still carried by the Anfield dressing room this season, a backdrop against which the club’s next sporting director will have to operate.

Other Internal Candidates Considered Before Ward Emerged as Favourite

Ward was not the only name Liverpool considered. According to BBC Sport’s reporting on the club’s search, David Woodfine and Pedro Marques were also named as internal options weighed by FSG before Ward’s candidacy solidified. Sky Sports reported separately that Liverpool were “seriously considering” Ward while also examining whether to bring in an additional figure to work alongside him, suggesting the club may not settle on a single appointment in isolation.

The Mirror’s report on September 23, 2026, described FSG as having “reportedly decided to make an internal appointment” rather than pursue an external hire, framing the decision as one built around trust and familiarity with the ownership group’s working methods rather than fresh outside recruitment expertise. That approach mirrors the pattern already seen across FSG’s other sporting franchises, where the group has repeatedly promoted from within its existing executive pool.

Wider Context: A Busy Week of Gossip Around Liverpool and Rivals

The sporting director news lands in the middle of an active transfer gossip cycle involving several of Liverpool’s rivals and targets. BBC Sport’s gossip column reported on September 22-23, 2026, that Manchester United and Liverpool are both keen on Crystal Palace defender Tyrick Mitchell, describing interest from both clubs without confirming any bid or formal talks. That remains speculation at this stage — no fee, contract length or approach has been reported by either club, and the story should be read strictly as an early-stage transfer link rather than any advanced move.

Liverpool have also been continuing to monitor other defensive targets independently of the sporting director search. The club is already known to be tracking Feyenoord right-back Givairo Read amid competing interest from Arsenal and Manchester City, a pursuit that predates the current sporting director process but which the next permanent decision-maker will likely inherit and help shape.

Elsewhere in Thursday’s gossip column, Barcelona were reported to have ruled out reviving a deal for Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, according to BBC Sport, months after Atletico chief executive Miguel Angel Gil Marin said in comments reported by Shafaq News that Alvarez would “never, ever” be sold to Barcelona. Barcelona sporting director Deco confirmed to Spanish radio station RAC1 on September 10, 2026, that the club had made a formal offer worth roughly $116 million for Alvarez during the summer, proposed to be paid over three seasons, but said the offer received no response from Atletico. BBC Sport’s gossip column had earlier reported that Barcelona were instead looking at Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane and Manchester City’s Erling Haaland as alternative long-term options at striker.

What Ward’s Return Would Mean for Liverpool’s Recruitment Strategy

Football executives who have previously worked under the sporting director model at Liverpool have generally been judged on their transfer market output, and Ward’s first spell produced several deals that are now viewed as successes, most notably Mac Allister’s move from Brighton and Nunez’s arrival from Benfica. His familiarity with Liverpool’s data-driven recruitment department, built originally under Edwards, is seen by The Athletic as a key reason FSG has gravitated back toward him rather than opening an external search.

However, the scale of the in-tray awaiting Ward is considerably different from the one he left in 2023. Beyond Van Dijk and Alisson’s expiring deals, Liverpool’s recruitment team will need to manage succession planning across multiple key positions while balancing Financial Fair Play considerations that have grown stricter across the Premier League since Ward’s previous tenure. The next sporting director will also have to work closely with manager Arne Slot, whose relationship with the recruitment department will be central to how effectively any incoming executive can operate.

What Happens Next

As of September 24, 2026, Liverpool have not issued an official statement confirming Ward’s appointment, and the move remains unconfirmed by the club itself, based on all available reporting. ESPN’s sources described the process as being in its final stages, while The Athletic and CaughtOffside both frame an announcement as imminent rather than finalised. Key questions still to be resolved include:

• Whether Liverpool will announce Ward’s appointment with an official statement in the coming days, and under what contract terms
• Whether FSG will pair Ward with an additional football executive, as suggested by Sky Sports’ reporting
• How quickly a new sporting director can begin work on Van Dijk’s and Alisson’s contract renewals ahead of their 2027 expiries
• Whether the Tyrick Mitchell links to Liverpool and Manchester United develop beyond gossip-column speculation into any actual approach

Liverpool have been contacted for comment on the sporting director process. This story will be updated as the club provides further details or issues an official confirmation.

Sources

• CaughtOffside reported the same day — caughtoffside.com
• Liverpool reach decision on Richard Hughes replacement as FSG turn to familiar face — teamtalk.com
• Liverpool’s hunt for a new sporting director: Julian Ward … — nytimes.com
• Julian Ward expected to be named Liverpool sporting director — nytimes.com
• Liverpool transfers: Busy in-tray for next sporting director – BBC — bbc.co.uk