Oliver Mintzlaff, chief executive for RB Leipzig, has dismissed speculation linking the Bundesliga club with Michael Edwards, insisting “he will not be our sporting director.”
Earlier this week, German publication SportBILD claimed Leipzig were sizing Edwards up for the vacant role of sporting director.
Edwards’ contract at Liverpool is due to expire in 2022, and with The Athletic’s David Ornstein reporting that he had informed the club he intends to leave next summer, the story made sense.
Journalists on Merseyide maintain that Edwards could still sign a new contract with the club, however, with the hope being he extends his successful stay.
It would appear that Leipzig are not even in the running anyway, with Mintzlaff speaking to DAZN on Wednesday evening.
“Michael Edwards will not be our sporting director,” Goal’s Ronan Murphy relayed on Twitter.
“The fact is that we are looking for a sporting director who fits the club, our philosophy and direction.”
That should, therefore, rule a move to Leipzig out, though Mintzlaff’s words could be interpreted as him suggesting Edwards could take up a different job within the Red Bull system.
Given his remarkable work at Liverpool, and the boost his reputation has earned, it would make sense for Edwards to target a more senior position if he departs Anfield.
It could be the case that he sees himself as a chief executive in the future, rather than a sporting director, though that is just conjecture at this stage.
For now, supporters can cling to the news that Red Bull don’t see Edwards fitting in with their “philosophy and direction.”
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