Liverpool watch Manchester United, Chelsea scramble for transfer chief as top Reds target speaks out

Liverpool have been told by one of their leading sporting director candidates that being linked with the Premier League giants is an “honour”.

With Jurgen Klopp’s departure at the end of this season confirmed, Liverpool were already facing a period of upheaval behind the scenes this summer.

But the exit of Jorg Schmadtke as expected after his short-term spell as sporting director leaves another gap Liverpool must fill in a position of utmost importance.

Schmadtke helped oversee an ambitious transitional summer in which the club’s entire midfield was revamped. James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho all left the Anfield club, with Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and Ryan Gravenberch signed to help replace them.

His role was only ever designed to be in the interim however, with a more permanent solution sought thereafter.

Liverpool even approached their beloved former director Michael Edwards, who helped deliver a period of immense success, over a potential return.

But his rejection of that offer has opened the door for Newcastle to try and beat Liverpool to securing his services, the Magpies themselves having to restructure in certain areas because of Manchester United’s interest in Dan Ashworth.

And that imminent move will have an impact on a number of different Premier League clubs, with Chelsea panicked into trying to ‘poach’ yet another recruitment head from Brighton.

All of these moving cogs do not even include Liverpool’s known interest in Tim Steidten, who has been in West Ham’s transfer team since July.

Steidten is thought to be one of the leading candidates for Liverpool after Edwards turned them down, with his previous work alongside Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen a potential factor.

READ MORE: Five ways Xabi Alonso is far from the ‘perfect’ Liverpool appointment Carragher reckons he is

Acknowledging the speculation, Steidten nevertheless underlined his commitment to West Ham.

“I’ve heard that I am supposed to be on the list at Liverpool,” he told Sky Sport in Germany.

“It is one of the biggest clubs in the world, so it’s an honour. But so far nobody from LFC has contacted me yet.

“I generally feel very comfortable at West Ham. I quickly realised how intense this league is. Accordingly, we signed the right players in the last transfer windows. The squad is strong, so we can achieve our goals.

“I am looking forward to facing the next weeks and months until the end of the season. Of course we are already planning the next window. What happens in the future, we will see.”

But the 44-year-old could be tempted by Liverpool’s approach after clashing with David Moyes in the January transfer window.

A report in 90Min revealed ‘disagreements behind the scenes’ at the London Stadium, as David Moyes targeted a proven and ready-made forward who could make an immediate impact, while Steidten and sporting director Mark Noble preferred to identify younger players with higher potential who could be moulded.

Neither party got their wish: Moyes failed to navigate a ‘tricky’ deal for Al-Ittihad winger Jota, and the groundwork Steidten and Noble put in place to sign Ibrahim Osman from Nordsjaelland was dismantled by the revelation that Brighton had struck a deal to sign the teenager in the summer.