Liverpool are yet to appoint their next manager but they have the structure in place already for the summer transfer window ahead.
Jurgen Klopp will step down from his role at the end of the season after nine years in charge, and Liverpool will lurch in a fresh direction. Michael Edwards has been appointed as the CEO of the club, and he is joined by Richard Hughes, who will work as a sporting director.
While the duo will officially take charge after the end of the season, surely they must have started working behind the scenes. Liverpool may look to add another midfielder to their ranks next summer, and the Reds scouts are keeping tabs on Ukraine’s rising star.
According to journalist Artur Petrosyan, Liverpool are closely following the development of Georgiy Sudakov. The Reds scouts have been tracking his development for the past year, and they are heavily impressed with what they have seen already.
Shakhtar Donetsk turned down a £34m bid from Napoli in the January transfer window. Arsenal and Juventus are also in the race to sign him.
Georgiy Sudakov would be a cracking signing for Liverpool
Liverpool spent heavily last summer to bring in four new midfielders. Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Wataru Endo and Dominik Szoboszlai joined the club and all of them impressed heavily in their first season.
On top of that, the Reds have a homegrown player in Curtis Jones who has become a key player under Klopp. Liverpool also are producing top-quality talents from their academy, and the likes of Stefan Bajcetic and Bobby Clark could play regularly next season.
It remains to be seen whether Liverpool would still be willing to sign another young midfielder who could cost in the region of £85m (€100m). Fabrizio Romano hailed the youngster as a “very special” talent, and it seems he could be one of Liverpool’s top targets next summer.
The Reds are likely to work on their transfer plans only after the new manager is appointed, but with Edwards at the helm, you can expect the club to complete some scouting homework already.