What really happened between Jurgen Klopp and Michael Edwards before he left Liverpool in 2022 – report

The high-profile signing of striker Darwin Núñez in the summer of 2022 is widely cited as a key moment that demonstrated Jurgen Klopp’s increasing transfer power, potentially contributing to the departure of highly-rated sporting director Michael Edwards later that year.

while Michael Edwards It was officially announced that his exit was planned after a decade, and was driven by a great belief in change, and reports indicated that there was underlying tension between the two parties. Jurgen Klopp Personal preference and data-driven recruitment model at the club.

Jurgen Klopp’s decision on Darwin Nunez is said to have caused tension behind the scenes at Liverpool

James Perse The athlete It reveals that Klopp insisted on a £64m Nunes deal despite opposition from the analytics department, which favored other data-backed targets such as Christopher Nkunku or Alexander Isak.

former Liverpool Research director Ian Graham also recently revealed that although the data ranked Nunez and Isak highly, Klopp ultimately chose Nunez, causing friction.

However, according to the report, there were no such clashes, and both Edwards and Ward eventually stepped down citing overexertion.

Asked if there was a power struggle between Klopp and Edwards, Pearce said: “It’s certainly fair to say that with longevity and success, Klopp’s influence has increased across a range of different areas, including recruitment.

“A good example of this was the signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica in the summer of 2022, which was mostly pushed by Klopp. Former Liverpool research director Ian Graham spoke about how this was not a data-driven decision. Christopher Nkunku (then at Leipzig) and Alexander Isak (then at Real Sociedad) were two of the alternative names mooted.

“There was occasional friction, but no major clashes to my knowledge. Both Edwards and Ward stepped down as sporting director because they felt exhausted after more than a decade of service at Liverpool and needed a break.”

Jurgen Klopp may not be the best when it comes to recruiting players

Klopp’s judgment of players is not his strongest group, as evidenced by previous examples as well.

Ian Graham has previously revealed that the German was pushing to sign Julian Brandt instead of Mohamed Salah in 2017 and the only reason the Reds ended up with Salah was because it took a concerted effort from Edwards and Graham to convince Klopp.

On the other hand, Edwards and his team have built a strong portfolio of successful, data-backed signings, earning a reputation as one of the best footballing minds of the modern era.

The data genius returns to Liverpool in 2024takes over as Chief Football Officer for Liverpool’s owners, FSG.

He and new sporting director Richard Hughes were responsible for the record-breaking transfer window Liverpool enjoyed this summer, spending almost half a billion pounds on signings of elite players including Alexander Isak.