The sporting director’s expected move to Saudi Arabia is set to trigger further departures at Anfield.
Liverpool are set to undergo further changes behind the scenes following the announcement that sporting director Richard Hughes has officially left the club.
Hughes has been an important figure in Liverpool’s recruitment structure since arriving at Anfield from Bournemouth in March 2024.
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His departure will represent another significant change for the club’s football operations, with Liverpool now preparing for life without the man who played a key role in shaping their transfer strategy.
The sporting director’s next move has been all but confirmed, with rumours linking him with a role at Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal for some time now.
The move will see him leave Liverpool after just over two years on Merseyside, having arrived as part of a wider restructuring of the club’s recruitment department.
However, Hughes is not expected to be the only senior figure heading for the exit door.
According to The Athletic, two members of Liverpool’s recruitment department are poised to follow the sporting director to Saudi Arabia.
The report states that Mark Burchill and Craig McKee are both set to join Hughes at Al Hilal, meaning Liverpool could lose three members of their recruitment operation in the wake of the sporting director’s departure.
Burchill and McKee both followed Hughes to Liverpool from Bournemouth in 2024 as part of the club’s recruitment revamp.
Burchill had previously worked as Bournemouth’s chief scout before taking up a similar position at Liverpool, while McKee arrived as the club’s head of scouting operations after previously working as Bournemouth’s recruitment coordinator.
Their potential departures would therefore represent another notable change to Liverpool’s recruitment structure, particularly given the close working relationship they have developed with Hughes over recent years.
Liverpool have placed increasing importance on their off-field football operations, with recruitment playing a crucial role in maintaining the squad at the highest level.
The club will now need to consider how best to replace Hughes and potentially two further members of the recruitment team, with the trio’s impending departures adding another layer of change behind the scenes at Anfield.
Two members of Liverpool’s recruitment department are set to follow Richard Hughes to Al Hilal.
Mark Burchill and Craig McKee, who joined Liverpool from Bournemouth with Hughes two years ago, are now poised to go with the sporting director to the Saudi Pro League club.
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— The Athletic | Football (@TheAthleticFC) September 6, 2026
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