4 things will ‘certainly’ occur if Tim Steidten is appointed sporting director of Liverpool.

The role of sporting director at Liverpool has been associated with Tim Steidten. Taking the reins would undoubtedly result in four things happening.

It will be a difficult assignment for Liverpool to find someone to succeed Jürgen Klopp. However, there are other positions that also require attention.

Along with Klopp, many of his closest lieutenants are also leaving, including Vitor Matos, the development coach, and assistant manager Pep Lijnders. The new Liverpool manager will probably bring in their own backroom personnel, so there won’t be much more work to do there.

However, Jörg Schmadtke’s position as sporting director, which became vacant at the end of last month, is not one that will open up on its own. The Athletic claims that Liverpool has previously had a plan to bring back Michael Edwards rejected; Tim Steidten is another name that is circulating.

Steidten, who is currently at West Ham, was formerly at Bayer Leverkusen and has a successful transfer history at both teams. When Sky Germany recently questioned him about links, he wasn’t exactly in a rush to remove them:

“I’ve heard that I am supposed to be on the list at Liverpool,” he replied. It’s an honour because it’s one of the largest clubs in the world. However, I haven’t heard from any Liverpool residents yet.

“At West Ham, I usually feel really at ease. I was soon struck by how competitive this league is. We thus acquired the appropriate players during the most recent transfer windows. We can accomplish our ambitions because we have a great squad.

“I am excited to tackle the upcoming weeks and months leading up to the season’s conclusion. Naturally, we are already organising for the upcoming window. We shall see what the future holds.”

It’s only a step or two away, so it’s not exactly a come-and-get-me request. The following four events would “certainly” occur if Liverpool were to sign Steidten.

Xabi Alonso signing 

I mean, it’s just too evident to ignore? It’s safe to assume that Steidten’s employment of Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen went well the one time around. He would undoubtedly be eager to plan a reunion.

It is anticipated that Liverpool will choose a sporting director prior to selecting a new manager, thus whoever is appointed to the position will have a vote in the selection. Steidten is sure that he has a solid working relationship with Alonso and will have the authority to make wise transfers.

It’s crucial that the manager and sporting director have this relationship. Because of their constant rapport, Klopp and Edwards were able to pull off some of the most consistently profitable transfer deals in history.

The name Lucas Paquetá crops up

Steidten has already made quite an impression at the London Stadium, and West Ham will undoubtedly hope he stays rather than leaving. Edson Álvarez and Mohammed Kudus have left behind a substantial legacy.

During Steidten’s watch, Jarrod Bowen also inked a long-term contract. If the German moved, it probably wouldn’t halt Liverpool connections because the winger is frequently brought up as a possible Salah replacement.

Actually, though, judging on his track record as sporting director, Steidten seems more likely to focus on finding a younger, longer-term answer to that specific issue. Furthermore, Lucas Paquetá may be a more plausible moniker if he were to attack West Ham.

Major interest has reportedly been expressed in Manchester City (including via Football Insider). Steidten, though, might tip the odds in Liverpool’s favour because the 26-year-old seems destined for a major league team.

It remains to be seen whether a move to Anfield would ever happen. Although many would consider Paquetá’s age advantage over Bowen to be significant, Steidten may be more likely to bring rumours from West Ham rather than real acquisitions. Paquetá is only eight months younger than Bowen.

Connections to the Bayer Leverkusen team

Links to the players of Bayer Leverkusen
Even if Liverpool ‘barely’ manages to acquire Alonso, there will undoubtedly be linkages to players at Bayer Leverkusen. A whole flurry of rumours will ensue if Steidten also shows there. Raids on ancient clubs are far from inevitable, despite what the gossip columns say, as Klopp shown, but there are a lot of transactions that make sense on paper.

Anyhow, Piero Hincapié has already been connected to Liverpool (via Bolavip), and Alonso would have the possibility to effortlessly transfer his back three system from Bayer Leverkusen if he signed a left-sided center-back. The Reds appear to need a player with this kind of profile, even in the absence of a system change.

Florian Wirtz is another, who would be a very interesting addition. Although Liverpool already has a wealth of excellent attackers, Klopp has rarely used the young German, who is best suited for the narrow attacking role behind the striker. If Mohamed Salah were to leave, this transfer would become much more likely, and Steidten could undoubtedly assist in making it happen.

The strategy of Jörg Schmadtke continues

Even though Schmadtke’s tenure as sporting director at Liverpool was brief, he will have a respectable legacy. Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endō, and Ryan Gravenberch are the three deals he took the lead on, and they have all showed potential to differing degrees.

It’s difficult to determine just how much influence Schmadtke had over these transactions, but his influence was clearly evident in the dramatic turn to Endō following his loss on Moisés Caicedo. Liverpool would once again be getting someone with outstanding understanding of the Bundesliga in Steidten.

The German top flight is where Endō, Szoboszlai, and Gravenberch were obtained from, as there is value there. Although Steidten isn’t averse to exploring other underutilised sectors, it’s likely that Liverpool will continue to closely monitor the Bundesliga while he is in charge.