Michael Edwards deal 'imminent' as Liverpool close in

Michael Edwards should agree a return to Liverpool very soon. That's according to Fabrizio Romano, who understands things are 'imminent'.

There's plenty of talk right now that Liverpool will be bringing Michael Edwards back to the club. Edwards previously worked with the Reds for around a decade.

Most prominently, he was sporting director from November 2016 through June 2022. You might also recognise that period as essentially the club's entire rebuild under Jurgen Klopp.

Edwards stepped down in 2022, with his no.2, Julian Ward, taking over. Ward only last a year in the role, however, and the Reds have been searching for a permanent replacement ever since.

Now, Edwards will not return as sporting director. Instead, he's essentially receiving a promotion and will oversee football operations at Liverpool from within FSG.

Richard Hughes, who will leave Bournemouth at the end of the season, is expected to become the new sporting director.

Fabrizio Romano on Michael Edwards

"Liverpool are close to complete agreement to bring Michael Edwards back to the club after final attempt exclusively revealed," Romano wrote on X.

"It’s imminent, final detail discussed — club now very confident. "Richard Hughes ready to accept and join Edwards as part of new LFC structure."

This comes after reports late on Friday that Liverpool were close to re-hiring Edwards. It now seems things have continued to progress and that an announcement could be imminent.

This would be massive for Liverpool, who are desperately trying to put a structure in place for when Jurgen Klopp departs. Getting Edwards back wouldn't just provide that structure, but it would give the club much-needed continuity just as one of the biggest figures at the club leaves.

So it shouldn't be much of a surprise that FSG and Liverpool pulled out all the stops to get Edwards back. Yes, the Reds are heading into a new era but with this deal, it has every chance of being as successful as the last one.