Edwards has been out of football for over a year, having officially departed his role as sporting director at Liverpool in October 2022.
After a lengthy break, the mastermind of the Reds’ recruitment success has moved into consultancy in sport alongside Ian Graham, who previously worked at Anfield as director of research.
INEOS, led by Ratcliffe as CEO, will soon finalise a 25 percent stake in the Manchester club in a deal worth £1.3 billion.
This will hinge upon the “distinctive condition of the minority owner taking full control of the sporting side of the club,” including transfers.
That would see the appointment of a sporting director, with Edwards on a list of candidates along with Paul Mitchell, the former Monaco figurehead, and Crystal Palace‘s Dougie Freedman.
The money on offer would likely be eye-opening, but it is described as “uncertain” whether he would be open to a return to football in that capacity.
Last month, The Athletic‘s James Pearce reported that Edwards had “turned down sporting director roles since leaving Liverpool and does not intend to go back down that route.”
Chelsea, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain are among those to have made advances, according to various reports, suggesting that the former Portsmouth and Tottenham analyst will not be tempted by a role at Old Trafford.
But that will remain up in the air until United make a firm appointment, with it understandable that Edwards would be considered a priority candidate.
Any sporting director taking the job at United would face a major overhaul, as the club’s recruitment has been their overriding flaw since the retirement of Alex Ferguson.
