FSG set to hire ex-Man City man - but not for Liverpool

FSG are set to hire a former Manchester City man but it won’t be to work for Liverpool. This is part of a grand plan.

The Athletic reports that FSG are set to hire Benfica technical director, Pedro Marques. Marques is highly regarded in football after some fantastic work with the Portuguese giants.

Before moving to Benfica, he worked with Manchester City. First, as a performance analyst, joining from Sporting in 2010. He actually worked alongside former Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward, who was a scout at City at the time.

In 2014, Marques was promoted into a role with City Football Group, the parent organisation that oversees City as well as various other clubs across the world. He then moved to his current role at Benfica in 2018, with huge success.

But it's his work with CFG that entices FSG. This isn't a hire for Liverpool, after all.

FSG to expand beyond Liverpool

FSG wish to get into the multi-club ownership game, as made clear with Michael Edwards' hiring. This is a step in that direction.

Principally, they're looking to buy a new club that would help with 'global talent acquisition'. It's essentially what CFG does, using their band of 'smaller' teams to pick up players who wouldn't get much of a look-in at City.

Marques helped set that project up, and FSG clearly believe he's the right man to do the same for them. The way this would ultimately benefit Liverpool, then, is by giving them opportunities to sign young players who are first trialled at this new club.

Of course, you can't really mention multi-club ownership without talking about the opposition to it. The overall idea of it faces massive criticism for a variety of reasons - clubs existing almost entirely to be feeder clubs for a larger one perhaps topping that list.

FSG are determined to get involved, though, and this is a major move in that direction.