Liverpool's Search for New Sporting Director: Candidates and Internal Options

Liverpool have begun sounding out external candidates in their search for a new sporting director, with Brentford technical director Lee Dykes among those the club have already held talks with.

The Anfield hierarchy are understood to favour an internal solution, though. Current technical director Julian Ward is viewed as a leading contender to step up and replace Richard Hughes, whose move to Al-Hilal was confirmed at the start of the month.

Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon is driving the recruitment process as Liverpool look to lock in the next phase of their football structure.

Dykes is one of several figures under consideration from outside the club. He has been a central figure in Brentford’s rise and consolidation as a Premier League side since their promotion in 2021, having joined the Bees in May 2019 and helped shape a recruitment model widely admired across the division.

Brentford sporting director Phil Giles is also highly regarded within Liverpool’s corridors of power, but prising him away from west London is expected to be difficult.

FSG have held discussions with other external options alongside Dykes, weighing those candidates against the appeal of promoting from within. The next decision will shape how Liverpool build and buy in the years ahead.