Who Liverpool can hire to replace Richard Hughes as sporting director leaves for Al-Hilal

By Ben Knapton | 05 Sep 2026 13:32, Last updated: 05 Sep 2026 13:32

Liverpool person confirmed that sporting manager Richard Hughes has stepped down from his station up of his expected determination to Al-Hilal.

The 47-year-old took implicit the relation successful 2024 pursuing the exit of Jorg Schmadtke, having antecedently served arsenic method manager astatine Bournemouth for implicit a decade.

With Hughes upstairs and Arne Slot connected the touchline, Liverpool won the 2024-25 Premier League title, earlier breaking their transportation grounds twice successful the aforesaid summertime with the arrivals of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.

However, Liverpool's caller signings failed to gel successful 2025-26 arsenic the Reds ceded their top-flight rubric with a whimper, earlier failing to adhd a caller right-back oregon cardinal midfielder to their ranks successful the summertime model conscionable gone.

Liverpool nevertheless negotiated a £123m woody with Paris Saint-Germain for winger Bradley Barcola, but lone aft Hughes's well-documented determination to Al-Hilal had been agreed, and his exit from Anfield was officially announced connected Saturday.

Liverpool wage tribute to Richard Hughes arsenic sporting manager leaves

"Richard joined america astatine the commencement of a play of change, embracing that work by starring our shot operations section and overseeing recruitment portion besides providing invaluable enactment to our coaching staff," Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon told the Liverpool website.

"The results we achieved successful these areas during this play are testament to this contribution. Nevertheless, we respect Richard’s beingness choices and privation him and his household good successful their adjacent venture."

Hughes added: "First and foremost, I would similar to reiterate what I said upon my accomplishment – it has been a root of large pridefulness to person been fixed the accidental to service this unthinkable and unsocial institution. That is thing I volition ever beryllium grateful for.

“My appreciation extends to ownership for their enactment and leadership, to nine unit astatine each levels who springiness truthful overmuch to marque Liverpool FC what it is, to the players who marque specified an tremendous publication and to the fans who enactment the squad successful large numbers whenever and wherever games instrumentality place.

“I’ll ever travel and enactment the nine with large affection, and I privation everyone progressive thing but occurrence for this play and beyond."

Who tin Liverpool prosecute to regenerate Richard Hughes?

Liverpool confirmed successful the aforesaid connection that the process to regenerate Hughes is underway, and The Athletic reports that interior candidates are presently being looked astatine implicit outer appointments.

The Reds are understood to beryllium considering Julian Ward, who concisely served arsenic Liverpool's sporting manager successful 2022-23 and present works arsenic method manager for FSG.

David Woodfine, who was Hughes's adjunct sporting manager and erstwhile caput of scouting, and Pedro Marques, manager of shot improvement for Liverpool's owners, person besides been shortlisted by the club.

Ex-Arsenal and Brighton & Hove Albion manager Jason Ayto is disposable for hire, arsenic is erstwhile Newcastle United main Paul Mitchell, should the Merseyside giants determine to look further afield.