RU EN DE
India Under-19s Australia Under-19s 233/6 217 Mah-e-Par Stars Hindukush Strikers 0 128 Maiwand Champions Pamir Legends 0 175 Matches →
Transfers

Richard Hughes leaves Liverpool for Al Hilal

Liverpool's sporting director departs after two years and £670m in transfer spending, with duties split among senior club figures until a successor is named.

Published 1 min read Sportpul editorial
Richard Hughes in a dark coat and red tie on the stadium stands

Richard Hughes has left his post as Liverpool's sporting director after just over two years at Anfield and is set to join Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal.

The 47-year-old Scot had told the club earlier this year that he wanted to leave, but agreed to stay through the summer transfer window, in which Liverpool spent around £670m during his tenure. His final signing was Bradley Barcola, who arrived from Paris Saint-Germain for an initial £106m.

Hughes joined from Bournemouth in June 2024, succeeding Jörg Schmadtke, and was central to the hiring of Arne Slot as Jurgen Klopp's replacement. Slot delivered a 20th league title in his first season, but Liverpool slipped to fifth last term.

Last summer's outlay under Hughes included the £125m record purchase of Aleksandr Isak and £116m for Florian Wirtz, alongside deals for Hugo Ekitiké, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong. This window brought Jérémy Jacquet and Victor Muñoz before Barcola's arrival closed out his spell in charge of recruitment.

His departure follows that of Michael Edwards, Fenway Sports Group's CEO of football, adding to the turnover in Liverpool's boardroom. FSG president Mike Gordon is leading the search for a successor, and in the meantime the sporting director's duties will be shared among FSG technical director Julian Ward and FSG director of football development Pedro Marques.

Hughes released a statement through the club: "I'll always follow and support the club with great affection, and I wish everyone involved nothing but success for this season and beyond."

About this article

Prepared by the editorial team with the help of algorithms, based on the sources listed

Sources 33

Editorial policy Report an error