- Data company Ludonautics is run by Liverpool’s former director of research
- Improving Man United’s recruitment is seen as a priority area for Sir Jim Ratcliffe
- Is Trent Alexander-Arnold playing mind games with Man City trophy dig? It’s All Kicking Off podcast
Manchester United have held talks with the brains trust behind Liverpool’s successful transfer activity under Jurgen Klopp as they continue the process of improving their own recruitment.
Mail Sport has learned that United have had discussions with Ludonautics, the sports advisory and statistical analysis business run by Liverpool’s former Director of Research Dr Ian Graham, but they are not working for the club.
Ludonautics was launched by Graham last year in an attempt to offer the data and analytical services he provided in 11 years at Anfield to other clubs.
Liverpool’s former sporting director Michael Edwards also works for Ludonautics as a consultant having rejected numerous offers to return to full-time work at other clubs.
Graham and Edwards spent 10 years together at Liverpool having previously worked with each other at Tottenham, and have been widely credited with providing the analysis which led the club to pursue bargain signings such as Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Andrew Robertson.
It is unclear whether United made a formal offer to engage Ludonautics, but they are not currently working for the club. Sources at Old Trafford told Mail Sport that United maintain an on-going dialogue with a number of data and analytics providers to ensure they are fully informed about the latest developments in a rapidly evolving sector.
United’s recruitment has been widely criticised in recent years and has been earmarked as a priority area for new minority shareholder Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is taking steps to improve matters.
In addition to the appointment of Omar Berrada as chief executive and moves to poach Dan Ashworth from Newcastle as sporting director, United also want to recruit a technical director and performance director to work under him.
Ratcliffe’s other sporting interests prioritise the use of data, most notably the Ineos Grenadiers cycling team, and that is regarded as another key area where improvements can be made at United.
Ludonautics have been appointed by several clubs across Europe to provide bolster their recruitment departments in the last few months, but do not disclose their list of clients.
United and Ludonautics declined to comment.
Liverpool has emerged as the busiest city for agency with the hometown to The Beatles sitting top when it comes to the most prosperous market with the highest number of listings per agent, research from eXp UK reveals.
Across the 25 British cities there are an average of 343 estate agency branches per city, while the average number of listings per city is 3,710 – giving an average of 11 listings per branch across the 25 cities analysed by eXp UK.
19 FOR SALE LISTINGS PER BRANCH
Rightmove data shows some 8,003 homes are currently listed for sale across Liverpool and with 423 estate agency branches that gives an average of 19 for sale listings per branch.
Portsmouth is also home to some of the busiest agents at the start of 2024, with 2,240 listings and 124 branches equating to an average of 18 listings per branch, followed by Leeds with an estimated 16 listings per branch.
Other cities where estate agents are off to a quick start to the year include Cardiff (15), Nottingham (14), Glasgow (14), Bristol (14) and Sheffield (14).
At the other end of the scale, stock in Newcastle equates to just six listings per agent, with Preston (6), Swansea (7) and Northampton (8) also home to some of the lowest average for sale stock levels per agent of all cities.
BUSY START TO 2024
Adam Day, Head of eXp UK, says: “With the market starting to pick up towards the back end of last year, it’s been a perhaps surprisingly busy start to 2024 for many estate agents.
“Growing stability has tempted both buyers and sellers back to the fold and many agents are finding that the initial task of building their property portfolios isn’t as hard as previous months, it’s the sales progression that is keeping them busy.”
He adds: “Of course, the diverse nature of the UK property market means that while some agents are hard at work with sales progression, others haven’t quite seen the same resurgence in for sale stock levels just yet.
“For these agents, demonstrating why they are the best choice will ensure it’s only a matter of time before their portfolio of for sale stock starts to build as the market continues to show ongoing signs of positivity already this year.”
A Liverpool city centre flat has gone on sale for just £1 with an estate agent boasting the property is a ‘high yield’ investment – as long as you’re willing to share a kitchen.
The isolated one-bedroom studio apartment might look unprepossessing, on Wright Street in Liverpool next to a junction with a busy dual carriageway.
Yet it is about to go for auction for only £1, despite neighbouring properties being marketed for up to £139,000 – with the Hong Kong-based owner ‘desperate to sell’.
Estate agents SDL Auctions have hailed the flat as a ‘high-yielding property investment’.
Yet they also point out the building has ‘shared kitchens on all floors’ – as well as communal living rooms and a laundry room in the basement.
The property was originally meant to go under the hammer on December 19 only for the auction to be delayed until the end of this month.
Other features mentioned in the ad include 24-hour CCTV, coded doors and a caretaker managing the building’s communal areas.
The so-called ‘Young Village’ property is praised as being a six-minute drive from Liverpool’s city centre – and landlords appear to be the target market.
SDL Auctions said: ‘With a potential rental of £360 per calendar month, this could be a high-yielding property investment.’
Neighbouring two-bedroom flats have sold for £40,000 in 2003 and £99,828 in 2016 – only to now be offered by property firm Zoopla for between £93,000 and £139,000.
A one-bedroom flat in the same development was bought in June 2022 for £11,000 but now has an estimated value between £30,000 and £45,000.
SDL is promoting this £1 flat with the enticement: ‘Looking to invest in the Liverpool Property market?’
It is believed the owner, based in Hong Kong, is happy with the £1 guide price to help get rid of his unwanted property.
The home is listed as an ‘en-suite pod-type room’ in a ‘great location’ offering ‘the benefits of communal living rooms with shared kitchens on all floors and a laundry room in the basement, with washing machines and dryers for your convenience’.
The ad also says: ‘There is no allocated parking with the property, but there is a good-sized car park area immediately in front of the property.’
The mooted sale comes after a one-bed apartment in Washington, Tyne and Wear, went up for grabs with a starting price of £1 before swiftly attracting four-figure bids.
A Durham property had the same initial fee – albeit with warnings the home would need improvements costing £30,000 to make it inhabitable.