Al-Hilal identify Richard Hughes alternative

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Al-Hilal’s interest in Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes may finally be cooling after weeks of speculation from Saudi Arabia. Image Credits: Imago ImagesAl-Hilal’s interest in Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes may finally be cooling – and that could make his future at Anfield a little clearer.The Saudi giants have been heavily linked with Hughes for months, with reports suggesting he was one of their leading candidates to take over as sporting director after impressing with his work at Bournemouth and then Liverpool.Liverpool have already rebuffed an approach, and with Hughes under contract until 2027, any move was always likely to be complicated and expensive.Now, however, there are signs Al-Hilal may have found a more straightforward solution.Bournemouth have confirmed that technical director Simon Francis will leave the club at the end of the season, bringing down the curtain on a 15-year association with the Cherries in both playing and executive roles.The Training Ground Guru report that Francis could be preparing for a new challenge overseas, with Al-Hilal named among the clubs keen to bring him into their hierarchy.From the Saudi side of the equation, targeting someone who is already available makes obvious sense.Francis’ contract situation means Bournemouth will not stand in his way, and Al-Hilal would avoid the need for drawn‑out negotiations with Liverpool or the risk of souring relations by trying to prise away a key figure who only arrived at Anfield in 2024.For Hughes, who was hand‑picked by Fenway Sports Group and is still relatively early in his Liverpool project, this shifting landscape can only strengthen the likelihood that he remains in place to oversee the next phase of the club’s rebuild.Nothing is guaranteed until Al-Hilal formally appoint their new sporting chief, and Saudi clubs have shown they can move quickly and aggressively when they really want someone.But the emergence of Francis as a strong candidate for the Saudi giants offers Liverpool some protection from Hughes being lured away to the Middle East.

Al-Hilal Richard Hughes