Liverpool 'draw up three-man shortlist of sporting directors'
The position at Anfield has been vacant for a few weeks now, as Jorg Schmadtke — who was only hired last year — departed the club upon the expiration of the January transfer window.
Schmadtke stepped into the void left by Julian Ward, who served as Liverpool's sporting director for just one season before resigning from his post, allegedly due to family reasons.
Prior to Ward's appointment, Michael Edwards was the Reds' long-serving transfer guru, overseeing the captures of numerous big-money signings who have now cemented their place in Liverpool folklore.
However, the Reds are set to head into the post-season period without a sporting director as things stand, but the club supposedly want to hire a new chief before ramping up their search for a successor to departing head coach Jurgen Klopp.
According to Football Insider, Bayer Leverkusen's Simon Rolfes is one name on Liverpool's shortlist, and the Reds are already targeting his colleague — Xabi Alonso — to become their new first-team manager.
Rolfes retired as a player at Leverkusen in 2015 and has since gone on to serve as their academy manager, sporting director and managing director of sport, masterminding the acquisitions of several key performers.
The likes of Edmond Tapsoba, Granit Xhaka, Patrik Schick, Odilon Kossounou, Alejandro Grimaldo, Victor Boniface, Jeremie Frimpong, Piero Hincapie and Robert Andrich — most of whom have played integral roles in Leverkusen's Bundesliga title charge this term — have all been signed with Rolfes at the helm.
However, Leverkusen recently tied Rolfes down to a new long-term contract until the summer
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