Liverpool's new sporting director Julian Ward was key in orchestrating the 2022 summer signing of Darwin Nunez from Benfica during his first stint in the position
Julian Ward
Jurgen Klopp with Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward in 2022(Image: Getty Images)
Liverpool decided to go with a familiar face for the club's vacant sporting director role, bringing back 45-year-old Julian Ward after a previous stint at the helm.
Ward will replace the outgoing Richard Hughes, who officially left the Reds on September 5 after over two years in charge to join Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.
During his first stint as sporting director with the club from 2022 to 2023, Ward signed a smattering of first-team regulars, including Luis Diaz (winter 2022 window), Darwin Nunez (summer 2022), Cody Gakpo (winter 2023), Alexis Mac Allister (summer 2023), and a host of smaller purchases.
It's Ward's signing of Nunez, who joined for a fee rising up to £85 million ($113 million) in 2022 after a breakout season with Benfica, that's earned the most flak.
The Uruguayan was not a total failure: he scored 40 goals and provided 22 assists across 143 appearances for Liverpool in all competitions, helping the Reds win a handful of trophies along the way. However, he failed to justify the hefty price tag, which had made him the Reds' club-record signing at the time.
Darwin Nunez
Darwin Nunez was more serviceable than a star during his time with the Reds(Image: Getty Images)
Ward may have been so drawn to Nunez due to the sporting director's rich contact base in Portugal, as a peviously served as the team's scouting director in the region and even worked as an assistant under former Portuguese national team manager Carlos Queiroz.
Liverpool was one of a number of big teams, along with Manchester United and Atletico Madrid, in for Nunez after the striker scored 34 goals in all competitions during a banner 2021/22 campaign. It's also been highly reported that Ward was not interested in Nunez, and the signing was Jurgen Klopp-driven.
Darwin Nunez
Nunez scored two goals past Alisson at Anfield in 2022 for Benfica(Image: Getty Images)
Ward personally flew to Portugal to negotiate and drive down the Liverpool price tag.
Ultimately, he got his man, and Nunez was unveiled as Klopp's replacement for the outgoing Sadio Mane.
The 45-year-old initially joined Liverpool's scouting department in 2012 after a stint with Manchester City, a club he joined after his stint with Portugal.
He worked his way up to assistant sports director in 2020 under the hailed leader Michael Edwards, with whom he worked until Edwards left the club (for the first time) in 2022.
Ward served as sporting director until June 2023, leaving after he helped secure the cut-rate signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Premier League rivals Brighton.
He was named technical director of Fenway Sports Group (owned by John Henry) in 2024 and initially seemed poised to lead the group's recruitment for satellite clubs, but the ownership group eventually decided not to venture into foreign club ownership.