Liverpool suffer blow as top sporting director target wants to join Bayern Munich - Reports

Liverpool find themselves in a problem as their top target for the position of sporting director Max Eberl is reportedly setting his sights on Bayern Munich.

The Merseyside outfit are at a crossroads, as current sporting director Jorg Schmadtke's contract is set to run out by the end of 2023. Bayern Munich, meanwhile, are in the midst of an administrative overhaul. They filled the sporting director's role with Christoph Freund, but the role that Hasan Salihamidzic vacated at the board level remains unclaimed.

As per Florian Plettenberg, Bayern's administration sees Eberl, a former defender for the club, as an ideal fit for that empty chair. In England, Liverpool had notably initiated discussions with Eberl earlier, which has revealed some authenticity in their interest. This would mean a potential battle between the two European giants over Eberl, but the Bavarian side hold the upper hand for now.

Sky Sports suggests that Bayern can breathe easy, as Eberl's talks with Liverpool have not been substantial. The 50-year-old is strongly inclined to make his way to Bayern Munich.

This puts the Merseysiders in a tricky position, despite the amicable relationship between Reds boss Billy Hogan and Max Eberl. The English club had sought to secure Eberl's services as their new sporting director back in 2022 as well, but he was already committed to RB Leipzig at that time.

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Cody Gakpo's return to training uplifts Liverpool ahead of Merseyside derby

In a significant boost to the Reds, Dutch forward Cody Gakpo was seen participating in training this week. This will fuel some optimism for his possible involvement in the upcoming Merseyside derby against Everton this Saturday, October 21.

Gakpo had been sidelined since he was substituted at half-time during Liverpool's contentious 2-1 loss to Tottenham last month. He incurred a knee injury while netting an equalizer in the first half. Initial concerns had surfaced that he might be out of action for an extended period, but subsequent reports hinted at a possible comeback this weekend.

On Thursday afternoon (October 19), Sky Sports cameras captured Gakpo during the training session. The footage only revealed the warm-up drills (via This is Anfield). Nonetheless, his presence in training is a promising sign, indicating that he may be well-positioned to feature, even if in a limited capacity.

His potential return could provide manager Jurgen Klopp with additional attacking options, as Liverpool aim to rebound from their Brighton & Hove Albion draw.