Liverpool have appointed Julian Ward as sporting director for the second time, filling the vacancy left by Richard Hughes's departure to Saudi Arabia club Al-Hilal. The reappointment comes during a period of significant upheaval at Anfield, with both Hughes and former chief executive Michael Edwards exiting this year, and FSG in the midst of selling a 38% stake to a consortium led by Amit Bhatia with Amazon founder Jeff Bezos as a member. Ward's return offers the club stability in its football operations at a critical juncture.

Ward, 45, held the sporting director position in 2022-23 before stepping away for personal reasons, and has since served as technical director for parent company Fenway Sports Group. During his first spell, notable signings included Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Núñez, though manager Jürgen Klopp held greater influence over transfers. Ward brings 14 years of experience at Liverpool across various roles and will lead the football operation alongside assistant sporting director David Woodfine, chief scout Barry Hunter, and FSG's director of football development Pedro Marques.