Ward's eight signings rated as he returns as sporting director
- Source
- Liverpool EchoLocal press
- By
- liverpool.news@trinitymirror.com (Theo Squires)
- Published
Key points
- Ward set to return as sporting director after Richard Hughes departed to Al-Hilal
- Liverpool Echo reviews his eight previous signings including Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister
- Diaz sold to Bayern for £65m after 41 goals in 148 appearances; Gannon-Doak moved to Bournemouth for £20m
Summary
Julian Ward is poised to reclaim the sporting director role at Liverpool following Richard Hughes's move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal this month. The 45-year-old previously held the position during the 2022/23 season before stepping down, then returned as Fenway Sports Group's technical director in summer 2024.
The Liverpool Echo assesses Ward's eight signings from his initial tenure, when he oversaw £225m in spending. Luis Diaz, brought in from Porto for an initial £37m plus £12m add-ons in January 2022, proved an instant success with 41 goals and 16 assists across 148 appearances before joining Bayern Munich for £65m last summer. Alexis Mac Allister, signed in June 2023, remains at the club. Ben Gannon-Doak, acquired from Celtic for £600k, was sold to Bournemouth for £20m in August 2025.
Original headline
Julian Ward eight Liverpool signings rated including record transfer, big hits and one huge flop
Summarized and translated from the original report by FutbolDesk's editorial AI and checked automatically against the source. Details may differ — read the original for the full story. Copyright of the article belongs to the publisher and the journalist; for copyright questions and takedown requests, see the Copyright page.