Laurie Shaw will take up a role with Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG) after leaving his role as director of football data at City Football Group (CFG).
Shaw was placed on gardening leave in January and is expected to begin his role at FSG in the coming weeks.
His role at FSG will see him work across multiple sports, with the American group having stakes in the Boston Red Sox of the MLB, the Pittsburgh Penguins of the NHL, Boston Common Golf of The Golf League and RFK Racing in NASCAR.
Shaw joined CFG, the multi-club model which owns teams including Manchester City, New York City FC and Melbourne City, in 2021.
The former Harvard research scientist and lecturer left his role at the American university to join the group’s data insights and decision technology team. He initially joined as CFG’s head of AI, before being appointed director of football data in September 2023.
Liverpool’s data-driven approach to recruitment has been a key part of the club’s success in recent years.
The data department assembled by the club’s former head of research Ian Graham helped then-sporting director Michael Edwards and manager Jurgen Klopp assemble the squad that won the 2019 Champions League and 2020 Premier League title.
The club’s internal data testing also played an important role in appointing Arne Slot as Klopp’s successor in the summer.
Edwards, who hired Graham and has helped spearhead Liverpool’s data-driven approach, returned to FSG as the group’s CEO of football in March 2024.
FSG is looking to develop a multi-club model, which had been made apparent since Edwards’ appointment last year. The Athletic reported in March it was exploring a deal to purchase Malaga, with a delegation visiting the Spanish second-tier club’s facilities in February to evaluate a potential acquisition. They previously explored a deal for French side Bordeaux.
Shaw studied physics at Imperial College London before gaining a PhD from the University of Cambridge. He held data and statistical roles in the financial sector and at Yale and Harvard, before moving into football with CFG in 2021.
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