Richard Hughes is expected to leave Liverpool at the end of his contract next June, with the sporting director poised to reunite with former Bournemouth colleague Simon Francis at Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal. Al Hilal and Francis, who replaced Hughes as Bournemouth's technical director and now leads Al Hilal's transfer activity, are operating on the basis that Hughes will join the club.
Hughes' current deal expires in June 2027, and BBC Sport understands he is not expected to sign a new one. The 48-year-old was hired by Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group in 2024 after leaving Bournemouth, where he had been technical director. At Anfield, he oversaw the appointment of Arne Slot as head coach following Jurgen Klopp's departure, a move that initially paid off as Slot won the Premier League in his first campaign. But Slot was sacked at the end of last season after a disappointing campaign, and Andoni Iraola has since replaced him.
“Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes expected to leave next June, likely joining Al Hilal with Simon Francis.”
This season is Iraola's first at Liverpool, and he knows Hughes well – the Spaniard was appointed Bournemouth head coach in 2023 on Hughes' advice. Iraola's backroom staff is taking shape: Liverpool this week officially agreed deals with Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper as first-team coaches, while Pablo de la Torre joins as an assistant coach for the fourth time he has worked with Iraola at a different club. Tom Webber, who also worked with Iraola at Bournemouth, will join as first-team tactical coach after a decade in performance analysis at the Cherries.
As it stands, Hughes and Liverpool are focused solely on the current transfer window and the forthcoming season. Liverpool have signed French defender Jeremy Jacquet – secured in January before Iraola's arrival – and Spanish winger Victor Munoz this summer. Midfielder Harvey Elliott is also set to return after his loan spell at Aston Villa expired. The club continue to be linked with attackers including Paris St-Germain's Bradley Barcola, but are set to be disappointed in their pursuit of Ivory Coast star Yan Diomande, who prefers a move to PSG this summer.
Hughes' departure next summer will end a three-year spell at Liverpool during which he shaped the club's post-Klopp era, only for Slot to be sacked within a year. His likely move to Al Hilal would reunite him with Francis, who left Bournemouth at the end of the season to lead the Saudi club's recruitment.