It remains to be seen whether Jorg Schmadtke will be given the opportunity to commit his future to Liverpool beyond the end of his contract in June.
The German replaced Julian Ward ahead of the prior summer window in the sporting director role, presiding over deals for Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.
“Jorg Schmadtke and the club had an agreement that they would talk at the end of February and the beginning of March over his future,” Christian Falk exclusively informed CaughtOffside.
“Schmadtke is not sure what he will decide then. He’ll hear what Liverpool wants and, because he likes the club very much and is enjoying his role there, I suspect he’ll think about extending his stay if they tell him they need him longer.
“At the moment, it’s really open and his contract is ending in June, so he’s not currently set to help the club with their summer window dealings.
“With that in mind, it’s important they talk early, as they can’t start talks on July 1st ahead of the new season.”
A clear alternative has yet to be identified in reliable reports, with the club and Jurgen Klopp appearing to enjoy a productive relationship with the former Wolfsburg employee.
Schmadtke hasn’t put a foot wrong
Whilst our latest Dutch addition to the squad clearly needs time to adapt to the pace and rigours of English football, it’s hard to fault the window we’ve last experienced.
Tasked with gutting the plumbing in midfield and installing a fresh set, it’s arguably been a roaring success so far with Liverpool still competing on all fronts and on course for a title challenge.
We’d like to see some kind of longevity in place for the sporting director position, in whichever direction the club chooses to go, though we’d be far from opposed to seeing Schmadtke continue on.
Especially when tasked with the less gruelling prospect of replacing an entire department.