Liverpool have held talks with transfer guru who openly criticised Manchester United

Liverpool have reportedly held talks with Monaco sporting director Paul Mitchell as they look to replace the outgoing Julian Ward at the end of the season.

It was announced earlier this season that Ward will step down from his role at Anfield, with the transfer guru reportedly linked with a move to Eredivisie giants Ajax. According to GFFN, as cited by Anfield Watch's Twitter account, Liverpool have already held talks with Mitchell, who is also set to depart from his current club at the end of the season.

Mitchell is richly experienced and is supposedly a well-respected figure in world football, so his arrival would be a huge coup for Liverpool if they manage to pull it off. The 41-year-old, who previously enjoyed a professional playing career from 2000 to 2008, worked with the likes of Tottenham Hotspur, Southampton and RB Leipzig before joining Monaco in 2020.

He was linked with Manchester United last year and when quizzed on the matter, Mitchell criticized the Red Devils' transfer blueprint in an interview with Sky Sports (via Mirror) last July.

"We are a long time from the Sir Alex Ferguson era. Erik ten Hag is a top coach from Ajax but they need a top blueprint not only for now but for the next five years, and work towards that, and sometimes on that journey there are hard moments when you don't get the right results, even though you're doing the right things.”

ANFIELD WATCH VERDICT

Mitchell has been responsible for completing bargain deals for Sadio Mane, Christopher Nkunku, Dele Alli and Son Heung-Min over the years, indicating that he's got an incredible eye for talent. His work speaks for itself and with Liverpool on the lookout for a sporting director to replace Ward, he could be the perfect candidate as things stand.

Aside from his eye for talent, Mitchell is an experienced figure and his contacts would allow Liverpool to get in touch with several agents across world football while sounding out potential transfer targets.