Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has stepped down and joined Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. Hughes joined Liverpool from Bournemouth in June 2024 and oversaw major deals including the signings of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola.
The 47-year-old also played a key role in the appointment of Arne Slot, who guided Liverpool to their 20th Premier League title in his first season.
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Following Liverpool’s fifth-place finish last season, Slot departed and was replaced by Andoni Iraola, whom Hughes previously worked with at Bournemouth.
Hughes said: “First and foremost, I would like to reiterate what I said upon my arrival – it has been a source of great pride to have been given the opportunity to serve this incredible and unique institution. That is something I will always be grateful for.
“My appreciation extends to ownership for their support and leadership, to club staff at all levels who give so much to make Liverpool FC what it is, to the players who make such an enormous contribution and to the fans who support the team in great numbers whenever and wherever games take place.
“I’ll always follow and support the club with great affection, and I wish everyone involved nothing but success for this season and beyond.”
Mike Gordon, president of Fenway Sports Group, is overseeing the search for Hughes’ replacement. Liverpool are considering both internal and external candidates, with David Woodfine, Julian Ward and Pedro Marques among those under consideration.
According to BBC Sport, Paris Saint-Germain sporting adviser Luis Campos would be the strongest candidate to replace Richard Hughes at Liverpool. However, Campos is unlikely to consider leaving the European champions in the immediate future.
Luis Campos, who signed a new five-year deal in 2025 is regarded as one of football’s leading transfer experts and was previously been linked with Manchester United.
The 62-year-old joined PSG in 2022 and has overseen the club’s sporting strategy and recruitment, playing a key role in their successful squad rebuild following the shift away from the superstar-focused approach that brought Neymar and Lionel Messi to Paris.
Campos previously worked as sporting director at Monaco and Lille, while also serving as a tactical analyst at Real Madrid during Jose Mourinho’s first tenure at the Bernabeu.
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