Liverpool director Schmadtke outlines key to summer signings as transfer fees ‘almost irrelevant’

Jorg Schmadtke says transfer fees are “almost irrelevant” when signing players after he was announced as Liverpool’s new sporting director.

Schmadtke has been handed an initial three-month contract to aid Jurgen Klopp in Liverpool’s transfer efforts this summer, with something of an overhaul expected at Anfield.

Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita have already left the club with the midfield an obvious area of the team in need of reinforcement.

Alexis Mac Allister continues to be heavily linked with a £70m move from Brighton, while Chelsea star Mason Mount remains one of their targets.

Schmadtke revealed that he’s yet to be told how much he will have to spend this summer, but explained that “the sums involved in these transfers are almost irrelevant” anyway.

“I don’t have a budget yet,” he said.

“Seriously, transfers are always complicated. When a player moves from A to B, it’s mostly about small things that are difficult to influence and unrelated to making money.

“For example, how the player integrates with his family in the city, what his place in the team should be, how he can show his maximum performance. You have to take that into account. The sums involved in these transfers are almost irrelevant.”

The transfer decisions have been largely left up to Michael Edwards and Julian Ward in recent years, with the former enjoying huge success.

But reports suggest Klopp will hold more power from now on, and Schmadtke confirmed that to be the case.

“The influence of the coach on transfers is greater in England than in Germany, where a sports director or sports director holds everything in one hand,” he added.

“Jurgen Klopp sets the priorities. We set him up with a team of data analysts, scouts and so on, so he can then choose from a list of players who he wants to work with.

“Then I’ll deal with the transfers with the responsible departments in the club. And in the end, the owners have to be satisfied with the investments.”

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