Klopp in danger of losing Liverpool's "brilliant" brain behind transfer success

Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards reportedly has admirers at Bundesliga side RB Leipzig as talks over his future continue.

Edwards is into the final year of his deal at Anfield, with his working relationship with Jurgen Klopp and FSG president Mike Gordon one of the key factors that has driven Liverpool's recent successes.

Having joined the club in 2011 in an analytics role, Edwards was promoted to sporting director in November 2016, just after Klopp's first summer as Reds boss.

He has overseen the signings of key players such as Mohamed Salah, Alisson Becker, Fabinho and Virgil van Dijk, while also helping the Reds generate huge profits on players that they sell.

Klopp has hailed Edwards many times, and spoke about the relationship he enjoys with him shortly after he signed a new Reds deal in December 2019.

Michael Edwards (left) has been a key figure at Klopp's Liverpool ( Image:

Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"[The relationship] is brilliant, absolutely brilliant," he said.

"Mike Gordon is here [in Liverpool ] at the moment as everyone knows!

"It is a very good relationship, his whole department is doing a sensational job. It was an easy decision making at these times in Liverpool.

"It is good. It is all based on a lot of thought, he is a very thoughtful person and we don't have to always have to have the same opinion from the first second of a conversation but we finish pretty much all the talks with the same opinion. Or similar opinions.

"That is all good. It is really great working together. All the relationships we have created over the years, all the time we have spent together, it was important."

The Athletic reported in August that Edwards was set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season having informed the club that he wished to try out a new challenge, with his assistant Julian Ward primed to take over.

Michael Edwards looks set to leave Liverpool at the end of the season ( Image:

Liverpool)

Now SportBild in Germany claim that Edwards is a "hot candidate" for the sporting director role there, with the position having remained vacant since Markus Krosche left for Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer.

Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff told their club website last week: "Finding the right person for the role is still a much more important factor.

"We've taken the time to do this in recent months and we will not allow ourselves to be hurried - quality is taking priority over time here.

"I can confirm however that we are currently in productive discussions and have the feeling that we've identified the right candidates for our club and our philosophy.

"We are confident that we will be welcoming the new sporting director here very soon."

Liverpool have struck up a good relationship with the Red Bull clubs in recent years, signing the likes of Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino and Ibrahima Konate, as well as holding discussions around other players.