Liverpool Land Data Mastermind Laurie Shaw From Manchester City In Major Analytical Coup
In a strategic move highlighting their commitment to innovation in football analytics, Liverpool have successfully lured Laurie Shaw — a renowned data expert who recently exited Manchester City’s City Football Group (CFG) — to become their new chief scientist. This poaching of City’s former data director not only signifies an intensifying rivalry off the pitch but also sends a powerful statement about the club’s future ambitions.
Laurie Shaw joins Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool's owners, after his departure from CFG where he led data science across a portfolio including Manchester City, New York City FC and Melbourne City. Recognised as an astrophysicist by training, Shaw previously served as a Harvard research scientist and a policy advisor for the British government. Holding a PhD in astrophysics from Cambridge and a master’s degree from Imperial College London, he brings a formidable academic pedigree to Merseyside.
This appointment is viewed internally as a “major coup” for Liverpool, particularly as Shaw oversaw CFG’s data engineering for recruitment, performance analysis, and operational strategy across their global football network. His imminent Liverpool role — reporting directly to director of research William Spearman — cements the club’s data-driven approach that has underpinned recent success both on and off the pitch.
Over the last decade, Liverpool have honed a pioneering analytics department credited with transformative recruitment. Under former sporting director Michael Edwards — now CEO of football for FSG — and ex-head of research Ian Graham, the club unearthed undervalued gems like Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Roberto Firmino, while using internal models to identify ideal managerial appointments, such as Arne Slot as Jürgen Klopp’s successor.
Shaw’s recruitment coincides with FSG’s wider ambitions. With ownership stakes in the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Penguins and more, the American group has embarked on creating a multi-club football model, previously exploring acquisitions of Spanish side Malaga and France’s Bordeaux. Shaw’s expertise, tested in CFG’s established multi-club network, will be vital as FSG expand globally, enabling data-informed synergy and competitive advantage across their holdings.
The timing of this ‘transfer’ is particularly compelling: Shaw had been on ‘gardening leave’ since January, with Liverpool swiftly moving to integrate him at their AXA Training Centre as soon as contractually possible. The Reds, fresh from a season challenging for top honours, are clearly doubling down on staying ahead of football’s data curve — a field where marginal gains can make all the difference amid fierce Premier League competition.
“It’s about keeping Liverpool at the cutting edge,” summarised an internal source familiar with the appointment, framing it as an assertion of Liverpool’s intent not just to maintain, but to extend their edge in smart recruitment and performance optimisation. With analytics influencing everything from talent ID to tactical tweaks, the addition of Shaw could be not just a recruitment win, but a transformative moment as FSG’s plans expand beyond Anfield.
As Liverpool prepare for a new chapter with Arne Slot and a refreshed technical hierarchy, Laurie Shaw’s arrival embodies a club leaning heavily into the digital era of football — where data might be the most valuable player of all.
Could this intellectual arms race between England’s elite clubs usher in a new age of analytics? Liverpool fans and football enthusiasts alike are invited to comment, debate, and share their views on the influence of data in the beautiful game’s future.
