Liverpool 'agree' deal with new sporting director - but there's a problem
Liverpool have agreed a deal with sporting director Max Eberl, according to a report, but they're not the only side to do so.
The Reds are looking for a long-term successor to Jorg Schmadtke. Brought in as a stopgap solution before the summer after Julian Ward's exit, the German decided to come out of retirement because the opportunity to work with Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp was too good to pass up.
It was, however, always just a short-term arrangement and both parties have the ability to pull the plug on the cooperation at any time. With this in mind, the Reds have been scouring Europe for a permanent replacement, and they once again looked to Germany for a solution.
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Max Eberl, a controversial figure in the Bundesliga, was recently sacked by RB Leipzig for a "lack of commitment" to the club and is being courted by the Reds and Bayern. In Germany, the expectation is that he will join the Bavarians as that was, allegedly, the reason behind Leipzig pulling the trigger.
Eberl, a BILD report asserted shortly before Leipzig faced Bayern, never settled in Saxony's largest city and instead was residing in Munich with a view to eventually joining the local side.
Liverpool agree deal
Nevertheless, Sports Zone now claims that Eberl has "reached an agreement" with Liverpool. However, the French outlet states that has reached the same agreement with Bayern.
It is claimed that Eberl is keen on joining the perennial Bundesliga champions but as he is currently observing a period of garden leave following his sacking, he can't yet legally sign a contract with Bayern. Eberl has kept his options open in the event that things don't work out as planned with the German side and indicated his willingness to take over at Liverpool.
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What likely tips the balance in Bayern's favour is the fact that he would have a different role there than on Merseyside. Bayern recently hired a new sporting director in Christoph Freund, so Eberl would become a higher-ranking director of sport with a seat on the board whereas at Liverpool he would be a regular sporting director.