Michael Edwards has been appointed to a senior role with Liverpool FC's owner, Fenway Sports Group

Michael Edwards has been appointed to a senior role at Fenway Sports Group, which includes the former Liverpool executive overseeing the club's football operations.

The athlete It was reported that Edwards was close to agreeing a senior role with Liverpool's owners, and was expected to see former Bournemouth manager Richard Hughes fill the vacant sporting director position after his exit from the south coast club was confirmed earlier this month.

Edwards' appointment has now been confirmed with him taking over as chief football officer of the Boston-based investment group.

“Michael is one of the most amazing executive talents in world football and John (Henry), Tom (Werner) and I are absolutely delighted to secure his services for our business,” FSG Chairman Mike Gordon said after the announcement.

He added: “As an organisation, we continually strive to improve our football operation, whether that is through identifying new opportunities externally or areas for improvement internally, and there is no better person to lead this ongoing process.”

Liverpool is going through a huge transition period following coach Jurgen Klopp's decision to step down this summer. Klopp's closest staff, including assistant manager Pep Lijnders, are also set to leave, and interim sporting director Jörg Schmadtke departed after the January transfer window.

Edwards was targeted by FSG to lead the restructuring – mooting the idea of ​​him taking a senior job at Liverpool or within the ownership group – but he initially rejected the opportunity.

However, they continued their pursuit and Edwards has now joined in a much wider capacity that includes Liverpool, rather than specifically returning to Anfield.

“I am very grateful to Mike, John, Tom and the ownership group for giving me the opportunity to take on this new leadership role within FSG,” Edwards said.

“I am humbled by the desire and perseverance they have shown in wanting to work with me again. This is certainly not something I take for granted given their proven track record in sport and business.

Edwards has rejected a number of offers to return to football following his exit from Liverpool in 2022, but following detailed discussions in Boston in early March, he is now set to succeed Gordon as the day-to-day decision-maker on all football matters.

Gordon intends to reduce his involvement in football but will remain on the FSG board, to which Edwards will now report.

Edwards' new role will also include helping to identify and subsequently manage a second club for FSG to attract world-class talent to Liverpool.

“It was important to me that, if I came back, it would be with renewed vigor and energy,” Edwards said. “In practical terms, this means new challenges and opportunities.

“As such, one of the biggest factors in my decision was the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club, and grow this area of ​​their organisation. I believe that in order for us to remain competitive, investment and expansion of our existing football portfolio is essential.

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Edwards took a year off following his departure from Liverpool, but returned to football in 2023 by launching consultancy service Ludonautics, alongside the club's former research director Ian Graham. He will now resign from this position on June 1.

As part of Edwards' move, Theo Epstein has been reassigned as an advisor to the expanded sports portfolio of the Boston Red Sox and FSG in another sign of FSG's desire to bring back trusted executives with a proven track record of success in broader, more expansive roles.

Edwards has been at Liverpool for over 10 years and has been credited with playing a key role in the success that has seen them win the Premier League and Champions League.

He helped assemble Liverpool's 2019-20 Premier League title-winning squad, helping bring in players such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Alisson and Virgil van Dijk. Klopp was also appointed to replace Brendan Rodgers in 2015.

Hughes' appointment will always depend on FSG securing Edwards, and after giving notice to the south coast outfit some time ago, the former Scotland international has been in discussions with several suitors since the transfer window closed in January.

Edwards is known to regard Hughes as among the industry's most prominent players, and his move to appoint Andoni Iraola as Bournemouth coach last June confirmed his credentials.

Why did FSG pressure Edwards so hard?

It's clear why Fenway Sports Group didn't take no for an answer when Edwards rejected their initial approach over a potential return to Liverpool earlier this year.

Senior executives John W. Henry, Tom Werner and Gordon viewed Edwards as an integral part of the success the club had achieved under their ownership and were desperate to bring him back into the team to help shape the post-Klopp era at Anfield.

Edwards initially earned their respect through his work as head of performance and analysis after joining Liverpool from Tottenham Hotspur in 2011. Five years later, he was promoted to sporting director and set up a team that won the Champions League in 2019 and the Premier League. League title in 2020.

It was Edwards who pushed hard for Salah's signature from Roma in 2017 and convinced Klopp that he would light up the Premier League. He also secured deals for the transfer duo of Alisson and Van Dijk, as well as bringing in the likes of Mane, Andy Robertson, Fabinho and Ibrahim Konate.

He gained a reputation as a skilled negotiator – earning a record fee of £142 million (now $182 million) when Philippe Coutinho was sold to Barcelona in January 2018. He also secured exorbitant fees for fringe stars such as Mamadou Sakho (£26 million, Crystal Palace), Dominic Solanke (£19m, Bournemouth), Danny Ward (£12.5m, Leicester City) and Danny Ings (£20m, Southampton).

Through a data-driven approach, Edwards made FSG's self-sustainable business model a success and developed a close relationship with FSG President Gordon.

Angel has always admired his ability to take emotion out of decision-making and the fact that he has never been shy about questioning and challenging other senior figures, including Klopp.

They did not want to lose him in the summer of 2022 when he decided to step down after his contract expired.

With Edwards no longer interested in returning to his previous job as sporting director, FSG had to offer a broader role with greater responsibilities.

There is a lot of uncertainty at Liverpool with a lot of change on the horizon this summer. FSG views Edwards as the ideal candidate to put in place the right structure and personnel to guide the club through this transformation.

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(John Powell/Liverpool via Getty Images)