Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes is expected to walk away from Anfield next summer, with a move to Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal understood to be his next destination.
Hughes’s contract expires in June 2027 and the 47-year-old is not expected to sign a new deal, according to sources. Al Hilal and their recruitment lead Simon Francis – who replaced Hughes as Bournemouth’s technical director when Hughes joined Liverpool in 2024 – are already operating on the basis that Hughes will join them.
“Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is expected to leave next summer to join Saudi side Al Hilal.”
The impending departure comes after a turbulent period at Liverpool. Hughes oversaw the appointment of Arne Slot as head coach in 2024 following Jürgen Klopp’s exit, and Slot delivered the Premier League title in his first season – only to be sacked at the end of last campaign after a disappointing run. That triggered a second managerial change in three years, with Andoni Iraola arriving from Bournemouth this summer.
Iraola and Hughes know each other well. Hughes, then Bournemouth’s technical director, recommended the Spaniard as head coach in 2023. Now the pair are working together again at Liverpool for what will be their first – and likely only – season in partnership.
This summer, Liverpool have signed French defender Jeremy Jacquet (secured in January before Iraola’s arrival) and Spanish winger Victor Munoz. Midfielder Harvey Elliott is also due back after his loan at Aston Villa expired. The club continue to be linked with Paris St-Germain’s Bradley Barcola, but have been frustrated in their pursuit of Ivory Coast striker Yan Diomande, who prefers a move to PSG.
Iraola has been reshaping his backroom staff this week. Liverpool agreed deals for Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper as first-team coaches, while Pablo de la Torre joins as an assistant – his fourth stint working alongside Iraola at a different club. Tom Webber, who worked with Iraola at Bournemouth, also arrives as first-team tactical coach after a decade in performance analysis.
For now, Hughes and Liverpool are focused solely on the current transfer window and the season ahead. But the clock is already ticking on his Anfield tenure, with Al Hilal waiting in the wings.