Featured Image Credit: Alamy / Axel Heimken/dpa/Alamy Live News
Topics: Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Premier League, Transfers, Wolfsburg, Jorg Schmadtke
Ryan Smart
Topics: Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool, Premier League, Transfers, Wolfsburg, Jorg Schmadtke
Liverpool have confirmed the appointment of Jorg Schmadtke as their new sporting director, with the German taking over the role from the outgoing Julian Ward.
The 59-year-old joins Anfield after a four-and-a-half year spell at Bundesliga club Wolfsburg, a role he left in February.
It is a key appointment for Liverpool, who are set for a busy summer as Jurgen Klopp launches a rebuild of his squad following a disappointing 2022/23 campaign.
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They look to be close to sealing their first summer signing, with Fabrizio Romano claiming on Monday that Brighton star Alexis Mac Allister will move away from the club 'imminently' amid strong Reds interest.
However, transfer business may now ramp up following the appointment of Schmadtke, who has had a largely successful record during spells as sporting director at Wolfsburg, Koln and Hannover.
At Wolfsburg, he brought young talents such as Ridle Baku, Maxence Lacroix and Patrick Wimmer to the club, with all three players showing they have undoubted potential.
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Former Manchester City starlets Lukas and Felix Nmecha are also on the books at the German club, while he also made an eventual profit of over €30 million on French striker Anthony Modeste after signing him for Koln.
However, Schmadtke will hope to learn from a few transfer errors from the past and ensure that Liverpool can resume their position as Premier League title challengers next season.
German forward Maximilian Philipp joined Wolfsburg on a season-long loan deal from Russian side Dynamo Moscow in 2020.
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The initial move was an undoubted success. The forward netted six goals in 27 appearances as the Wolves secured Champions League qualification.
That form prompted Schmadtke and Wolfsburg to sign him permanently for the following campaign. But he scored just one goal in 22 appearances in the following campaign, and has spent this season on loan at Werder Bremen.
Dodi Lukebakio joined Wolfsburg on loan from Hertha Berlin in the summer of 2021. But the move simply didn't work out for the right winger, as he scored just once in 25 games in all competitions.
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The Belgian returned to Hertha for this season, where he returned to form by netting 11 goals in 32 appearances. It meant he finished as the club's top scorer, but the 25-year-old couldn't save them from Bundesliga relegation.
Victor Osimhen signed a pre-contract with Wolfsburg in January 2016 after impressing at the U17 World Cup. He officially joined the club a year later, before spending the 2018/19 season on loan at Belgian Pro League side Charleroi.
Schmadtke included an option to buy clause in his loan contract, and Charleroi activated it to sign him for €3.5 million. Later that window, the Belgian club sold him on Lille for around €25 million.
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Now at Napoli, Osimhen could be sold on for over €100 million this summer - meaning this is one of few transfer errors from the new Liverpool sporting director.