Richard Hughes is not expected to sign a new deal to remain at Liverpool beyond 2027, with the sporting director likely to leave next summer when his current contract expires in June.
The 45-year-old, who oversaw the appointment of Arne Slot as head coach in 2024 and his subsequent sacking, is expected to link up with former Bournemouth colleague Simon Francis at Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal. Al Hilal and Francis are already operating on the basis that Hughes will join the club.
“Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is not expected to sign a new deal, with his contract expiring next June.”
Francis replaced Hughes as Bournemouth's technical director when Hughes was hired by Liverpool owner Fenway Sports Group in 2024, and is now leading Al Hilal's transfer activity after leaving the Cherries at the end of the season.
As it stands, Hughes and Liverpool are focused solely on the current transfer window and the forthcoming season – the first for Andoni Iraola, who replaced Slot after a disappointing campaign that saw the Premier League title winners sacked.
Hughes and Iraola know each other well: the Spaniard was appointed Bournemouth head coach in 2023 on Hughes's advice, when the latter was technical director at the Cherries.
Liverpool have signed French defender Jeremy Jacquet and Spanish winger Victor Munoz this summer, with Jacquet's signature secured in January before Iraola's arrival. 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.
This week, Liverpool officially agreed deals with Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper to be part of Iraola's backroom staff as first-team coaches at Anfield. Pablo de la Torre joins as an assistant coach, his fourth time working with Iraola at a different club. Tom Webber, who worked with Iraola at Bournemouth, will join Liverpool as first-team tactical coach after a decade in performance analysis at Bournemouth.
The departure of Hughes would mark another significant shift in Liverpool's football operations, leaving Iraola – who has yet to oversee a competitive match – to build his own structure without the man who brought him to the club.