Liverpool face major rebuild after Richard Hughes agrees move to Al-Hilal

Liverpool have begun the search for their fifth sporting director since 2022 after Richard Hughes agreed to leave the club for Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal.

The Reds want to appoint his successor quickly, but must also avoid further instability in a role that has already seen repeated changes. Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon is overseeing the process, with Liverpool considering both internal candidates and individuals from outside Anfield.

Hughes joined Liverpool in the summer of 2024 and played a significant part in the appointments of Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola. Earlier this year, he informed the club that he wanted to pursue a new opportunity in Saudi Arabia.

The club’s next sporting director will inherit a position with considerable influence over Liverpool’s long-term football strategy. The successful candidate will need to fit into the existing structure and work with the club over an extended period.

David Woodfine is among the leading internal options. He worked as Hughes’ assistant and was previously Liverpool’s loan player manager. Woodfine has extensive knowledge of the club and its working methods, and was seen showing Iraola around the AXA Training Centre after the coach arrived in June.

Julian Ward is another possible candidate. Ward was Liverpool’s sporting director between 2022 and 2023 and helped complete important deals for players including Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez.

Ward is now technical director at Fenway Sports Group, making him a natural option for Liverpool because of his detailed understanding of the club and the way sporting decisions are made there.

Pedro Marques, Fenway Sports Group’s director of football development, is also under consideration. Marques previously worked as technical director at Benfica and was part of the administration that helped secure Enzo Fernandez for £10m. He later became a first-team performance analyst at Manchester City.

Outside the organisation, Paris Saint-Germain sporting director Luis Campos is viewed as one of the strongest possible candidates. However, his departure from the European champions in the near future is considered unlikely.

Whoever succeeds Hughes will have to deal with more than just his departure. Two Liverpool recruitment officials, Mark Burchill and Craig McKee, have also followed Hughes to the Middle East.

Decisions in goal and defence

One of the most urgent matters will be the future of Alisson Becker, whose Liverpool contract expires at the end of the current season.

Juventus showed interest in signing the Brazil goalkeeper during the summer transfer window, but Liverpool were not prepared to let him leave. Alisson remains the undisputed first choice for both the club’s leadership and coaching staff.

Iraola has also named the 33-year-old as one of his vice-captains. Alisson has started all three of Liverpool’s league matches so far, although he has not yet reached his usual best level.

Liverpool have alternatives in goal, but Giorgi Mamardashvili has not yet provided complete reassurance. The club are also due to welcome 18-year-old goalkeeper Luca Brugmans from Genk next summer in a deal that could eventually be worth £30m. It would be difficult, however, to expect Brugmans to take immediate responsibility for the first team.

Alisson is regarded as one of the most important players from Liverpool’s recent golden generation. He has helped the club win two Premier League titles and the Champions League, so deciding whether to offer him at least another year at Anfield will be a major test for Hughes’ replacement.

The future of captain Virgil van Dijk is equally significant, with his contract also due to expire next summer.

Liverpool already lost several senior figures at the end of last season, including Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson. Losing both Alisson and Van Dijk in the same transfer window would therefore represent a considerable risk, particularly because of the experience they provide in the dressing room.

Van Dijk is 35 but has played every minute of Liverpool’s league campaign since returning from the extended rest he took after the World Cup. Although the Netherlands defender may no longer possess the same physical power he showed during his early years at the club, he remains one of Europe’s finest centre-backs.

Liverpool have several promising young defenders, including Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni, Ivane Ndika and Mor Talla Ndiaye. The new sporting director may view Van Dijk’s continued presence as an ideal way for those players to learn from one of the outstanding defenders of his generation.

Midfield depth a growing concern

Iraola believes Liverpool have “good options” in midfield, but that area could nevertheless become one of the new sporting director’s most pressing concerns.

The club did not strengthen the position during the summer, while Curtis Jones moved to Inter Milan, leaving the coaching staff with fewer alternatives.

Liverpool have decided to give more opportunities to 19-year-old Trey Nyoni after he impressed during the club’s pre-season tour of the United States. However, the demands of a long season mean a heavy workload is likely to fall on Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.

An injury to any of those three players could create a serious problem in mid-season, given the lack of depth available behind them.

Liverpool were interested in Monaco midfielder Lamine Camara, as reported by BBC Sport last week, but had not planned to sign a new midfielder during the summer.

The position could become a priority in the January transfer window or next summer, particularly if Liverpool find it difficult to agree an extension with Mac Allister. The Argentina midfielder’s current deal runs until 2028 and there are no negotiations over a new contract at present, leaving his long-term future as another issue for Hughes’ successor to monitor.

Plenty of attacking options

The situation in attack appears more settled. During his time at Liverpool, Hughes helped expand the club’s attacking options through a series of significant signings.

The arrivals included Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola, giving Liverpool considerable depth in the forward positions.

Eighteen-year-old Rio Ngumoha is also close to signing a long-term contract with the club, which would further increase competition for attacking places at Anfield.

Liverpool rejected the opportunity for Cody Gakpo to join Manchester City during the summer transfer window. The Netherlands forward has scored once and provided three assists so far this season.

That stance could change in the future if Liverpool sign another winger and receive a sufficiently attractive offer for Gakpo.

Relationship with Iraola will be crucial

Establishing a successful working relationship with Iraola may be the most important responsibility facing the new sporting director.

Liverpool chief executive Billy Hogan sought to underline the club’s stability during the summer, telling BBC Sport: “I want to make clear that we as a football club are in a very healthy position; the leadership from ownership is very stable, and we are excited about the season ahead and beyond.”

However, the club have experienced significant change. Liverpool appointed a new manager, welcomed new investors, lost several prominent players and saw Hughes leave a year earlier than expected.

Michael Edwards, who was responsible for appointing Hughes, has also resigned as chief executive of football at Fenway Sports Group.

Hughes played a central role in the decision to dismiss Slot and appoint Iraola, making the next sporting director’s position particularly sensitive. Iraola explained on arriving at Liverpool that he had signed a two-year contract because he did not want to remain anywhere simply because he was tied to an agreement.

His close relationship with Hughes, developed while the pair worked together at Bournemouth, was one of the factors that helped bring him to Liverpool.

A new sporting director must now build a different relationship with Iraola and work with him on a long-term project designed to return Liverpool to contention for major honours.

The role will involve far more than identifying new signings or negotiating player contracts. The new appointment will be expected to restore stability to Liverpool’s football structure, make decisive calls on the futures of Alisson and Van Dijk, address a possible shortage in midfield, maintain balance in attack and, above all, create a strong and constructive partnership with Iraola.

Liverpool’s vacancy is therefore not simply an opening to fill. It is a defining appointment that could shape the club’s next era.