Liverpool will be in need of a new sporting director next summer - and one of the potential candidates already has a connection with the club.
Reports on Wednesday emerged that Sven Mislintat is interested in taking on the role at Anfield. The Reds will no doubt already be searching for a possible replacement for Ward, who will depart after just one year in the job.
Mislintat has worked with Jurgen Klopp in the past, having spent a decade as a scout at Borussia Dortmund. The 50-year-old has since had a two-year spell as head of scouting at Arsenal, before he left in 2019.
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Despite not having worked directly with Klopp since 2015, the pair have kept in touch since Liverpool hired the former Dortmund boss as their manager. And one deal in recent years saw the duo enter discussions.
When the Reds needed a new centre-back in the winter of 2021, they turned to the signing of Ozan Kabak on loan from Schalke. It was a temporary deal with an option to buy at the end of the campaign, which was not exercised by Liverpool.
Mislintat also worked with Kabak during the player’s time at Stuttgart in 2019. Speaking at the time of Reds' move for the defender, Mislintat spoke about how Klopp asked for his advice when considering whether or not to bring Kabak to Anfield.
“I told Jurgen that he’s a top lad,” Mislintat told The Athletic in 2021.
“Top mentality, top character, top aggression. He’s a (Dejan) Lovren-type player. Very good in the air, both defensively and in the opposition box.
“He played his best stuff for us (at Stuttgart). He hasn’t been able to show how good he is at Schalke.
“Kabak still needs to learn but he has all the skills for Klopp to make a success of him.”
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