Liverpool recently met with Roma man about joining them, but then decided not to get him

Add as preferred source on Google

Liverpool had a recent meeting with Roma sporting director Tiago Pinto about replacing Julian Ward at Anfield.

The Reds have been on the hunt for a replacement for Ward ever since he handed in his notice last November. That search now looks to be coming to an end, with Jorg Schmadtke on the verge of being appointed.

But according to The i earlier this week, Liverpool had previously identified Roma’s Pinto as a ‘leading contender’ for the position. Their interest reportedly went as far as sending ‘senior club officials’ to meet with the 38-year-old.

However, this meeting doesn’t appear to have been a wholly positive one. After sitting down with Pinto, Liverpool are said to have instead opted to move forward with Schmadtke. It’s claimed that the German’s appointment will be confirmed ‘soon.’

That might not be the end of Pinto’s Premier League story, though. The i report that Tottenham Hotspur have also held talks with the Portuguese, with interest arriving from West Ham and Aston Villa, too.

Liverpool opt against Pinto appointment

This story only serves to add a little more intrigue over Liverpool’s imminent hiring of Schmadtke. Clearly, they were on the lookout for someone much younger and more innovative than the former Wolfsburg boss.

But having sat down with Pinto, who’s over twenty years Schmadtke’s junior, they’ve opted to go in a different direction. To many supporters, this will be a real worry.

It isn’t that Pinto’s record or reputation is particularly noteworthy, but he’s obviously very different to someone like Schmadtke. That Liverpool are looking at candidates who are clearly so very different isn’t a great sign. It speaks to a certain lack of direction.

For a club who have always been very clear in their approach, that might make a few fans a little uneasy.

It’s still yet to be reliably confirmed exactly what the nature of Schmadtke’s role will be. We have no idea right now whether he’ll be in a short-term post or at Anfield for a number of years. Both have been reported.

But it isn’t like there aren’t other, perhaps more suitable candidates out there. Pinto probably being one. The Portuguese may be unknown to a lot of fans, but he’d certainly be a more exciting appointment than the one we’re due to get. Anyway, there’s obviously a reason this meeting didn’t go to plan, and we’ll just have to trust that the club have made the right decision.

Let’s just hope that Pinto doesn’t end up joining Tottenham and turning them back into a real force.