Julian Ward stepped down from his position at Liverpool in November 2022 and it came as a shock because he had only succeeded the respected Michael Edwards.
Following confirmation of Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s deal on Christmas Eve, former Liverpool sporting director Ward has emerged as a candidate being considered for the role of sporting director at Manchester United.
That news comes from The Telegraph and they state Ward has already turned down the chance to become the director of football at Ajax, although the 42-year-old is in no rush to return to football.
United have also been considering Crystal Palace’s Dougie Freedman, former Tottenham Hotspur recruitment chief Paul Mitchell and Atalanta’s Lee Congerton. It’s a huge position and whoever gets the role will be tasked with leading the recruitment strategy for the new era under Ineos.
However, Ineos are believed to have a number of sporting directors in mind, including Newcastle United’s Dan Ashworth.
Ward spent 11 years at Liverpool and oversaw the recruitment of Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez.
The same report claims Ashworth would be Ratcliffe’s ideal appointment but it is understood it will be an almighty challenge to extricate him from his Newcastle contract even if he is interested.
Get the latest Manchester United news, opinion, interviews and exclusive features with the Stretty Newsletter – Ad Free! Kick off your afternoon with the Stretty News verdict on all matters Manchester United.