FOOTBALL
By Animesh Pandey
Posted on July 8, 2026 5:00 pm | Updated on July 8, 2026 12:08 pm Liverpool director Richard Hughes may leave Anfield after 2026-27 season for Saudi club Al Hilal
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Richard Hughes is all set to leave Anfield, as per recent news. The Liverpool sporting director may make a move for the Saudi club Al-Hilal.
Hughes to enter Saudi Pro League?
As reported by BBC, the 47-year-old Hughes is considering a move to the Saudi Pro League. He will be joining Al-Hilal after the 2026-27 season. Interestingly, he won’t be alone. His former colleague, Simon Francis is also working with the Saudi club.
Hughes is involved with the transfer window for the upcoming season. He is expected to leave the Reds after the summer of 2027. Hughes joined Liverpool in 2024 as the sporting director. Before that, he was the technical director for AFC Bournemouth. He served the club management between 2014 and 2024.
Richard Hughes’ overall contribution to Liverpool as sporting director
Hughes is currently focused on reorganizing the Liverpool team under new manager Andoni Iraola. Iraola replaced Arne Slot as the head coach for the upcoming season. Interestingly, both Iraola and Hughes know each other well. In 2023, Iraola joined Bournemouth as the head coach. It was Hughes, as the technical director, who convinced the management to appoint Iraola as the head coach. Iraola led the Cherries to a historic sixth-place finish in the Premier League. Subsequently, he was appointed the new manager for Liverpool ahead of the 2026-27 season.
Interestingly, it was Hughes who oversaw the appointment of Slot as the new manager during the 2024-25 season. Slot had replaced outgoing manager Jurgen Klopp. He started on a promising note. The Reds won the Premier League title in the 2024-25 season. However, the same performance wasn’t repeated next year.
Unfortunately, Slot couldn’t maintain the winning momentum the following year. The Reds struggled to make it big in the 2025-26 season. They finished fifth in the Premier League. They were eliminated in the quarter-final of FA Cup. The lone bright spot was the FA Community Shield, where they finished runners-up. Liverpool lost to Crystal Palace 3-2 on penalties. That’s why Slot was replaced by Iraola ahead of the 2026-27 season.
The road ahead for Liverpool
Liverpool are undergoing a massive transformation. They’re seeking out players on almost every front. That’s why the Reds have recruited players like Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz for the upcoming **football**season. Liverpool recruited Jacquet from Rennes for a total package of £60 million. On the other hand, Munoz was signed for a total amount of €40 million from Osasuna. Likewise, Harvey Elliott is also expected to return to Anfield after the loan spell at Aston Villa expired. The Reds were expecting to sign Yan Diomande for the next season. Unfortunately, it didn’t go as per plans as the Ivory Coast winger decided to opt for Paris Saint-Germain instead.
However, the road to reclaiming the Premier League is a long one. Iraola knows very well that he cannot afford to repeat the mistakes of his predecessor. Apart from recruiting new players, he also needs to ensure that the players don’t feel left alone.
This was also one of the reasons why Slot couldn’t retain his place as the team manager for the upcoming season. The Reds haven’t officially named a successor to Richard Hughes. However, David Woodfine leads the race for now. It will be interesting to see how he works out for the Reds next season. Likewise, Hughes will have to make it count at Al-Hilal if he secures the transfer. It will be interesting to see whether Hughes transforms Al-Hilal the same way he did with Liverpool from 2024 to 2026.
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Animesh Pandey
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