His motivation \u2014 as per his regret with Rodrygo \u2014 was well signposted. \u201cOne of the biggest factors in my decision is the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club, growing this area of their organisation,\u201d Edwards said in a press release.<\/p>\n
The decision allowed FSG president Mike Gordon to step back from his role minding Liverpool from his home in Boston, Massachusetts. In an email sent to club staff, he confirmed that Edwards would \u201cuse every tool at his disposal\u201d in acquiring another club that would help \u201cdrive our competitive ambitions\u201d.<\/p>\n
It hasn\u2019t worked out that way. Two weeks ago, The Athletic broke the news that FSG has parked plans to add to their portfolio<\/a> despite several options being presented to them, and that Edwards is frustrated with the lack of progress<\/a>.<\/p>\n His contract with FSG runs until the summer of 2027, and it is reasonable to wonder whether he is minded to extend that stay if FSG\u2019s position on multi-club ownership does not shift.<\/p>\n He is not alone. Richard Hughes, who Edwards appointed in his old sporting director role at Liverpool, is also on a deal that expires in a little over a year. So is Arne Slot, Hughes\u2019 appointment as head coach.<\/p>\n \n Richard Hughes (left) and Michael Edwards are both out of contract in 2027 (Robin Jones\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n The Dutchman delivered the Premier League title in his first season at Anfield, but the calls for him to be removed are getting louder following a challenging second campaign.<\/p>\n For the time being, he has Hughes and Edwards\u2019 backing; they think he has been dealt a rough hand for all sorts of reasons, and if he gets through this period, he should, in theory, be better equipped to take Liverpool forward. Whether that stance persists if Liverpool are knocked out of the FA Cup and the Champions League and fall away from the Premier League top five over the next few weeks remains to be seen.<\/p>\n There is an obsession with Slot and his future because, ultimately, he picks the team and has the most public-facing responsibilities at the club.<\/p>\n Yet potentially the macro problem at Liverpool relates to Edwards and, to a lesser extent, given they seem to come as a package, Hughes. If it is deemed that Slot has to go, might the longer-term executive uncertainty at Anfield affect conversations with potential replacements?<\/p>\n Perhaps the chance to lead Liverpool overrides all other considerations \u2014 many managers or head coaches have so much belief in themselves that they don\u2019t really care for which highly paid directors they\u2019ll have to communicate with on a daily basis.<\/p>\n Alternatively, if it is true that football\u2019s smartest coaching brains choose their clubs based on the stability and effectiveness of the structure around them, then it stands to reason the ticking clock attached to FSG\u2019s two most senior executives should be a cause for concern.<\/p>\n Not so long ago, it seemed as though things were chugging along nicely for FSG. For the first time in its ownership, it had the executive structure in place that it had long desired, allowing individuals such as Gordon to disappear from any public discussion. A combination of the team\u2019s success and huge commercial revenues allowed record spending in the transfer market, reducing the criticisms about the economic strategy the organisation had always attracted.<\/p>\n Yet for all of the talk about men such as Edwards and Hughes taking care of longer-term interests, their existences are ultimately determined by their performance and their contracts, like any player or manager\/head coach. And their willingness to extend those deals \u2014 again, just like players \u2014 will be shaped by their relations with employers who had sold them a promise and the offers they receive from elsewhere.<\/p>\n \n Arne Slot has come under scrutiny at Liverpool (Carl Recine\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/GettyImages-2239335361-scaled.jpg\")
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