EXCLUSIVE: The FULL lowdown on BRILLIANT Markus Pilawa as he NEARS Liverpool move

Liverpool are keen to appoint former Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich chief scout Markus Pilawa.

Anfield Watch exclusively revealed the news on Saturday afternoon following the departure of Dave Fallows, who served 12 years at Anfield.

Pilawa is a highly rated and renowned figure in Germany, who has been involved in some high profile transfers and played a key role in recruiting some of Dortmund's most exciting talents in the last decade.

He is currently a free agent which makes him the ideal candidate for the vacancy left by Fallows.

Now Anfield Watch has spoken to footballtransfers.com Bundesliga expert Ronan Murphy to get an exclusive insight into the Reds' new potential appointment.

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Everything you need to know about Markus Pilawa with Ronan Murphy

Why would Liverpool be interested in him now?

Murphy: Markus Pilawa has been in demand before, but now is the perfect time for Liverpool to strike as he is out of contract and looking for new opportunities. Bayern Munich have moved on from him, not because of a frustration at the job he was doing, but because new Bayern Sporting CEO Max Eberl wanted someone for the job that he was familiar with and appointed Nils Schmadkte, having worked together at Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Who are the best signings he has been involved in?

Murphy: Pilawa’s reign at Dortmund is what he’s best known for, particularly in bringing in talented young players who could have an immediate impact in the first team. Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham are the headline names from Pilawa’s time at BVB, and he used his connections and business savvy well to convince the Norwegian to move to the Bundesliga club. Pilawa had Dortmund’s current players send Haaland messages on WhatsApp to convince him, but perhaps more significantly, had the club’s kit manufacturer Puma offer him a massive boot contract which Haaland could then use to negotiate a better deal from Nike for himself.

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Was his move from Dortmund to Bayern Munich seen as controversial in Germany?

Murphy: There have been many controversial transfers from Dortmund to Munich, such as Mario Gotze and Robert Lewandowski, and CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke had attempted to implement a ‘no selling to Bayern’ strategy since 2021. However, when it came to Pilawa, this promise was forgotten about. Hertha Berlin had been trying to convince him to move to the capital club when they were riding high in the Bundesliga and had money to spend, so an exit from the Westfalenstadion was always a possibility. Then, a falling out with CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and head coach Edin Terzic sped up a potential exit and Bayern swooped. Dortmund fans online were obviously outraged, with comments like ‘bullying’ and ‘predatory tactics’ on fan forums.

What are some signings that he missed on?

Murphy: Pilawa’s period at Bayern was not as successful or impactful, partly because of the more difficult market for the world’s elite players, but also because sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic was often single-minded in his transfer pursuits. Summer 2023 was an especially disappointing window for Bayern, as they tried to bring in Joao Palhinha and Kyle Walker from the Premier League. Palhinha has since moved to Munich, but Bayern’s right-back position remains a major question mark with Noussair Mazraoui and Bouna Sarr both flopping at the position and allowed to leave the club.

How could Liverpool fans expect their recruitment strategy to change with him?

Murphy: Pilawa is a data-driven scout and his holistic approach to recruitment will focus heavily on bringing in players who can develop at the academy and not just big names who could contribute straight away. Appointing him would be a long-term approach for Liverpool, with dividends expected in the future rather than immediately.