Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is expected to leave the club and join Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia, and there's still time for him to raid the Reds over the next month or so
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JULY 09: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Sporting director Richard Hughes of Liverpool during an U21 training session at AXA Training Centre on July 09, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Richard Hughes is expected to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia(Image: Getty Images)
Richard Hughes’ tenure as Liverpool’s sporting director doesn’t look as though it will be remembered all that fondly by fans - and he could yet come back to haunt the Reds over the next month or so.
Just two years on from arriving at Anfield, Hughes is now expected to leave the club in order to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. No official word has been given on when he will depart, although it looks likely that he has conducted his final business for Liverpool now that the summer transfer window has closed.
His final acts for the club have seen him sign Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain in what has been a relatively quiet window, much to the chagrin of many supporters.
Hughes’ spell in charge of Liverpool’s transfer activity has not been too well received, although it remains to be seen whether his biggest signings - including Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz - may yet improve his reputation.
The early signs are not too promising, with Jamie Carragher recently suggesting that last summer’s huge spending spree could go down as the worst transfer window of all time, and the failure to address some of the issues in Andoni Iraola’s squad has not gone down well among fans.
What’s more, there is the potential for Hughes to further enrage supporters in his new job should he plan on raiding the Reds.
KIRKBY, ENGLAND - JULY 09: (THE SUN OUT, THE SUN ON SUNDAY OUT) Academy director Alex Inglethorpe, sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Andoni Iraola of Liverpool during an U21 training session at AXA Training Centre on July 09, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Richard Hughes added four new signings to Andoni Iraola's squad for the 2026/27 season(Image: Getty Images)
Although the Premier League’s transfer window has now closed, the Saudi window remains open, and will do so until October 12, leaving plenty of time for some new arrivals at Al-Hilal.
Reports have already claimed that Hughes has been juggling both Liverpool and his new club’s transfer activity this summer, and while his departure from Anfield hasn’t yet been confirmed, he could be set to get down to work properly with Al-Hilal very soon.
A number of current Liverpool players have been linked with a move to the Middle East, including the likes of Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk. Although it’s unlikely the club would entertain any approaches over the next month or so for its players, that might not stop Saudi clubs from trying their hands.
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In what looks to have been Hughes’ final window at Liverpool, the Reds made four new additions to Iraola’s squad for the 2026/27 season, with Barcola, Victor Munoz, Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo arriving, while Ifeanyi Ndukwe and goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans will join up with the squad next year after spending the season out on loan.
Supporters though have been left frustrated by the lack of signings made in some areas of the side, particularly on the right wing after Mohamed Salah’s exit, as well as midfield and right-back.