Liverpool's laptop guru is back! Michael Edwards the most important signing of FSG's post-Jurgen Klopp plan

Edwards joined Liverpool in 2011 as head of analytics and was derided in one infamous article as the "laptop guru" who had "done a number" on Brendan Rodgers after the manager's dismissal in October 2015. As it transpired, Rodgers had only himself to blame for failing to listen to Edwards' advice when it came to players such as Roberto Firmino, the multi-talented forward who was shockingly deployed at right-wing-back shortly before the Northern Irishman's exit.

By that stage, Edwards had been promoted to Liverpool's technical director, and it was he who pushed FSG to replace Rodgers with Klopp rather than Carlo Ancelotti or Eddie Howe, the other two names on the club's shortlist of potential new managers. Edwards and Klopp quickly clicked, and the former was appointed sporting director in November 2016, much to the latter's delight.

In complete contrast to Rodgers, Klopp liked the "concept of a sporting director" and said that "having worked under this model previously, I have found it to be nothing but positive and forward-thinking. Michael is absolutely the right person for this. He has the knowledge, expertise and personality to flourish in the role... This decision is hugely positive for us and it will make us better and stronger in managing the process of building and retaining playing talent at all age groups." Klopp wasn't wrong.

The pair formed a close working relationship - literally, with their offices adjacent to one another - and while they clashed occasionally over player recruitment, their arguments always ended amicably and, more importantly, in agreement.

It certainly helped that they shared "similar opinions" on football, as underlined by the fact that former Borussia Dortmund boss Klopp believed that ex-Hoffenheim forward Firmino - whom Edwards ended up naming his dog after - was a "smart" signing for Liverpool even before he had arrived at Anfield.

Such an obvious eye for astute acquisitions certainly helped Edwards when it came to convincing Klopp of Andy Roberton's world-class potential - and that Mohamed Salah would be a better signing than Julian Brandt. The pair also combined to great effect for the transformational transfers of Virgil van Dijk, Sadio Mane, Fabinho and Alisson Becker.

However, while Edwards' signings rightly drew a lot of attention, his sales also played a pivotal role in Liverpool's success. The Reds did not have anything like the same resources as Roman Abramovich's Chelsea, Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City or the commercial colossus that is Manchester United, so Liverpool always needed to balance the books - and Edwards worked wonders in that regard.

The Van Dijk and Alisson deals simply would not have been possible if Liverpool had not forced Barcelona to pay an extortionate £105 million for Philippe Coutinho, but Edwards also deserves immense credit for convincing clubs to pay over the odds for the likes of Christian Benteke, Jordon Ibe, Mamadou Sakho, Joe Allen, Kevin Stewart, Dominic Solanke, Danny Ward, Ryan Kent, Danny Ings, Rafael Camacho, Ki-Jana Hoever and Rhian Brewster.

When one considers that Edwards was also integral to an infrastructural overhaul at Liverpool, including the establishment of the research department, it's easy to understand why many connected with the club believe Edwards to be the second-most important factor in the Reds' revival over the past nine years, after Klopp.

The question now is whether he can replicate that success without Klopp - the most complete manager in modern football, as Edwards knows only too well. The reason why he threw his weight behind Klopp in 2015 was because the ex-BVB boss ticked every box. He had enjoyed success in Europe, had proven he could beat teams with bigger budgets, and had an exemplary track record when it came to improving players.

Liverpool could not have hoped for a better manager, either. He understood the club, the city and its people from the moment he arrived at Anfield. Furthermore, as this season has underlined, Klopp is not merely a charismatic master of motivation. He's also a tactical genius capable of not just reading games, but changing them with formation switches and substitutions.

Less than a year after revamping his entire midfield, Klopp has won a Carabao Cup with kids and somehow kept a injury-ravaged squad fighting on four fronts. Even if Liverpool don't end up winning the Premier League, it will be difficult trying to convince anyone to try to follow a veritable miracle-worker!

But if anyone can, it's Edwards, a transfer market maestro that both Manchester United and Chelsea were unsurprisingly desperate to hire. Seriously, what coach wouldn't relish working under a director renowned for making one successful signing after another.

Edwards' bluntness has rubbed some people up the wrong way in the past - Rodgers certainly wasn't a fan - and it's no secret that Edwards and Klopp were no longer as close as they had once been when the Englishman surprisingly decided against extending his contract in 2022. It was clearly a decision that weighed heavily on him, as underlined by the fact that he took the most uncharacteristic step of publicly addressing Liverpool fans in an open letter explaining his exit.

"To be part of this club during this period has been a privilege due to the people I have been fortunate enough to work with and the success we have enjoyed," he said. "But all good things must come to an end and, in my case, I recently completed my final summer window as Liverpool sporting director. Even writing those words seems a bit surreal, but at the end of this season I will pack up my laptop and leave my office at the AXA Training Centre for the last time."

He also paid tribute to Klopp, pointing out that "being manager of Liverpool is probably harder than playing (the shirt hangs heavy, so they say), but he has delivered so much joy to the fans and reasserted so many of the club's historical values that he will go down in history as one of the club's managerial greats."

However, the talk at the time was that Klopp wanted greater control over transfers and that Edwards had been against the decision to extend Jordan Henderson's contract, as he believed - quite correctly as it transpired - that the age profile of the squad was worryingly high.

So, while Edwards will undoubtedly continue to shun the spotlight, he will relish the challenge of trying to build on the solid foundations that Klopp will leave behind. He wasn't easily persuaded to return to Anfield. The promise of overseeing the addition of another football club to the FSG portfolio quite clearly played a pivotal role in his decision.

He will also have more power - and thus control - over Liverpool than ever before, and it's believed that the appointment of close associate Richard Hughes as the club's next sporting director is a done deal.

Luring Xabi Alonso away from Bayer Leverkusen will obviously be a tougher task, given the intensity of the competition for the Spaniard's services. But even if Alonso should say no to Liverpool and yes to Bayern Munich, there's every reason to believe that the Reds' success will continue with Edwards calling the shots at FSG.

The loss of Klopp is going to be keenly felt. But who better to replace Liverpool's legendary leader than the low-profile laptop guru who helped hire him?