Liverpool are in contact with a number of external candidates for their vacant sporting director role, including Brentford technical director Lee Dykes.
Dykes has held talks over taking over from the departed Richard Hughes, as Liverpool weigh up options for the job.
BBC Sport‘s Sami Mokbel reports that the club are speaking to a host of candidates, though he claims they are “minded to make an internal appointment.”
Julian Ward (pictured below), who briefly held the position between Michael Edwards and Jorg Schmadtke, is described as a “strong candidate” to move over from his current role as Fenway Sports Group technical director.
Liverpool’s current assistant sporting director David Woodfine, FSG director of football development Pedro Marques and director of global talent Matt Newberry are thought to be other options.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's Sporting Director Julian Ward during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's Sporting Director Julian Ward during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The search for Hughes’ replacement is being led by FSG president Mike Gordon.
Mokbel adds that Dykes’ colleague, Brentford sporting director Phil Giles, is another admired but is unlikely to be open to a move at this stage.
Dykes, 42, previously held scouting roles with Crawley, Notts County, Oldham and Carlisle, as well as being assistant manager for the latter, before taking over as Bury sporting director in 2018.
He then moved to Brentford as head of scouting in 2019 before being promoted to his current position in 2022, which has seen him work alongside Giles to great effect.
Brentford’s transfer successes under Giles and Dykes
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Brentford's goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, May 24, 2026: Brentford's goalkeeper Caoimhín Kelleher during the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Brentford FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Brentford are known as shrewd operators in the transfer market, with Mark Flekken, Kevin Schade, Nathan Collins, Igor Thiago, Michael Kayode, Sepp van den Berg and Caoimhin Kelleher among their successes since Dykes became technical director.
The summer just gone saw the Bees secure the signing of midfielder Mamadou Sangare among others, with the Malian already seen as a misstep from those higher up the food chain such as Liverpool themselves.
There are already strong relations between Liverpool and Brentford’s recruitment teams after recent deals for Kelleher, Van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho.
However, with Mokbel suggesting an internal appointment is preferred, it remains to be seen in those conversations with Dykes develop any further.
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