Liverpool sporting director update: 'This is who his first signing could be'
Julian Ward is set to be appointed as Liverpool's new sporting director and is already making transfer plans, sources have told Football Insider.
The 45-year-old is set to make a return to the position he previously held during the 2022/23 season, and has been tipped to revisit some of his long-term targets.
During his previous stint, Ward was a big fan of Aurelien Tchouameni, and had pushed to bring him to Anfield before his eventual move from Rennes to Real Madrid.
As I revealed on the latest edition of Football Insider's Transfer Insider podcast, Ward is still a strong admirer of Tchouameni and could look to bring him to Anfield in 2027.
Liverpool are still in need of midfield reinforcements after failing to adderss the position during the summer transfer window, and could be tempted to revisit their target.
However, any deal for Tchouameni will be difficult to pull of due to his role in the Real Madrid side, while he only recently put pen to paper on a contract extension until 2031.
Could Liverpool make a move for Aurelien Tchouameni?
Football Insider revealed back in 2024 that Liverpool were keen to sign Tchouameni amid doubts about his future at Real Madrid, although nothing materialised.
The France international has frequently been linked with a move to Anfield, and while no advancements has been made, he remains highly regarded in the corridors of power.
Following Ward's retrurn, there is a chance the Reds could reignite their interest, although there is a belief that any move for Tchouameni would be difficult to pull off.
Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, I explained: "Yeah, obviously Julian Ward does look like he's going to be reappointed as the new sporting director at Liverpool.
"He's obviously going to have targets in mind and there will be work to do on this Liverpool squad ahead of upcoming transfer windows.
"As you said, Ward was interest previously in bringing Tchouameni to Anfield, and I'm sure there will be interest going forward because he remains very much on Liverpool's radar.
"But it could be a very difficult deal to do in the near future because he only recently signed a new contract at Real until 2031."
Which other players has Julian Ward targeted?
Tchouameni was not the only player to be linked with a move to Anfield during Ward's previous spell, with a number of big-name players having been targeted.
During his previous time at Liverpool, the sporting director landed deals for the likes of Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister, and is highly regarded.
At least three of those four can be regarded as major successes at Anfield, with Diaz and Nunez now having moved on, while Gakpo and Mac Allister remain key assets.
Meanwhile, some of the star names targeted by Ward included the likes of Jude Bellingham, Moises Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez.
Despite ultimately missing out on the trio to Real Madrid and Chelsea respectively, Ward clearly has an eye for ambitious targets which could bode well ahead of his return.