Liverpool’s hunt for a new sporting director has quietly gathered pace since Richard Hughes left the club earlier this month.
Hughes stepped down on 5 September, two years after joining Anfield from Bournemouth, ending a spell that included a Premier League title but also growing criticism of the club’s recent transfer business.
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Fenway Sports Group confirmed Hughes’ departure came after he informed the club’s ownership of his desire for a new challenge.
He has taken up a similar role at Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, though Liverpool maintain no permission was sought or given for him to work for another club while he remained in post through the transfer window.
His exit follows that of Michael Edwards, who stepped down as FSG’s CEO of football last year, leaving Liverpool without its two most senior football operations figures inside a short period.
FSG president Mike Gordon is now leading the search for Hughes’ replacement, with Julian Ward, Pedro Marques, David Woodfine and chief scout Barry Hunter continuing to oversee the club’s football strategy in the meantime.
Speculation over who fills the role has now turned to Italy.
According to Sport Witness, Sky Italia journalist Gianluca Di Marzio has named Liverpool as a possible destination for Piero Ausilio, Inter Milan’s long-serving former sporting director.
Di Marzio said he “wouldn’t rule out Liverpool,” noting the club had lost their own sporting director to Saudi Arabia and suggesting a Premier League move could suit Ausilio.
Di Marzio also linked Ausilio with Tottenham, though he suggested that interest has cooled since the summer.
“He could go to the Premier League. I don’t think he’s that far along with Tottenham. There were talks over the summer,” he said.
Ausilio’s Inter career began in January 1998, when he joined as secretary of the club’s youth academy.
He moved into the first-team setup in December 2010 and was appointed sporting director in February 2014.
Inter announced his departure by mutual consent on 2 September, ending a 28-year association with the club. Dario Baccin, his long-time assistant, was promoted to a newly created role as Chief Sport Officer in his place.
During his time as sporting director, Ausilio’s Inter won three Serie A titles, three Coppa Italia trophies and three Italian Super Cups, while reaching two Champions League finals, in 2023 and 2025.
He was named Best Sporting Director at the 2024 Globe Soccer Awards in Dubai.
Ausilio is now a free agent for the first time since the 1990s, and no timeline has been set for when Liverpool expect to name Hughes’ successor.
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