Liverpool are known to be wily operators in the transfer market and it looks like it will continue that way.
The Reds have had a summer to remember and it is far from over yet, with many big names still linked with a move.
In previous years, they have been linked with a whole host of names but none of them really came to fruition, with a lot of people questioning the job sporting director Richard Hughes was doing.
However, after making no notable signings last season, Hughes has made a statement this summer and silenced the doubters with some huge new arrivals.
Liverpool fans’ opinion may have changed but one person whose opinion hasn’t is one of his former teammates from his playing days, with Charlie Daniels always knowing just how good Hughes was at his job.
Richard Hughes Sporting Director of Liverpool during the first Arne Slot press conference at AXA Training Centre
Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Richard Hughes has a plan for everything
Before taking up other roles within football, Hughes was a footballer himself and most notably played for Bournemouth, enjoying two spells there between 1998-2002, and 2012-2014.
It was during his second stint at the club where he linked up with Daniels, with the pair reuniting again when Hughes later returned in an executive position.
Daniels knows Hughes better than most, telling the Liverpool Echo the secret reason why he is so good at his job.
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“It’s his persona. He won’t be rushed into doing anything just because of pressure,” Daniels revealed.
“He will have thought about it long and hard about not bringing just anyone in [last summer] but also knowing that Trent, Virgil and Mo were out of contract, so that will have taken priority over things.
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🔴🤝🏻 Florian Wirtz today also with Richard Hughes, as Liverpool director has been crucial to make the deal happen.
Three months of hard work behind the scenes to get Florian’s green light in May and close the deal with Leverkusen on Tuesday last week. pic.twitter.com/SpF3HTmPK2
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) June 20, 2025
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“With Florian Wirtz, Milos and Frimpong, that might have been in the background bubbling away, so you talk about short, medium and long term plans, he definitely thought about that process.
“He didn’t rush into anything just because of pressure from the fans and his job is to make sure the club has success and it might rub some people up the wrong way in the short term and it might be frustrating in the short term, but if you can have Kerkez, Wirtz, Van Dijk and Salah all in the same building, in the same team, you would say he has done his job well.”
Richard Hughes still has a busy summer ahead
Liverpool have made five signings already this summer, but they do not appear to be close to being done yet.
Marc Guehi could become the sixth new addition at Anfield as Hughes continues to work on a deal for the Englishman, while a left-winger and striker are also high up on Liverpool’s agenda.
Hughes also has to deal with the outgoings and might be there for quite some time given the fact that so many of the Reds’ stars are attracting interest.
Many certainly do not envy his job one bit due to the headache it will likely cause, but based on his dealings this summer, there is no one else fans would rather have overseeing operations.