DONE DEAL? Liverpool chief Ward agrees Ajax move

Departing Liverpool sporting director Julian Ward is moving to Ajax at the end of the season.

Ward, 41, announced in November he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season just a few months after replacing the highly-successful Michael Edwards in the transfer hot seat. Ahead of his departure, he has agreed to help Ajax rebuild after the departure of manager Erik ten Hag and several top players last summer.

Ward will officially start work on July 1 after fresh talks with Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar finally brought a breakthrough over financial terms, says the Mirror.

Van der Sar was instructed by the Dutch club's board to reopen negotiations after failing with his first approach. Ward has developed a big reputation in the game for recruiting players, working under Edwards at Anfield before taking up a more senior role.

He led Liverpool's charm offensives for Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez. Ward has a strong network of contacts in South America and also in Portugal, where he once scouted for Liverpool.

Ward will become Ajax's first foreign sporting director, although 38 of the club's 50 managers between 1915 and 1965 were English. Vic Buckingham was their last English manager before the legendary Rinus Michels took over.