Ex-CEO: 'I've been monitoring Saudi football' and this is why they might want Liverpool senior man
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Fri 27 March 2026 7:00, UK Liverpool’s Richard Hughes is one of the best sporting directors that Al-Hilal could be targeting to join the club.That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes Hughes is “respected” in the game for the work he has done at Liverpool and Bournemouth.Hughes has been linked with a move to Saudi club Al-Hilal, with his position at Anfield having come under scrutiny amid Liverpool’s struggles on the pitch.Liverpool spent nearly £450million on transfers last summer, and the club have been unable to defend their Premier League title.It is set to be another active summer transfer window at Liverpool this year, which Hughes would oversee if he was to remain at the club. ✈️ Liverpool Transfer News ✈️ Breaking news on deals in progress, latest signings, departures, and contract news from the Anfield boardroom. VISIT THE TRANSFER HUB MORE FOOTBALL INSIDER STORIES Richard Hughes ‘one of the best’ sporting directors in footballEverton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Saudi football has been continuously progressing.Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Saudi clubs are starting to realise the importance of hiring sporting directors.Total Turnover£703mWage Bill£428mWages-To-Turnover Ratio61%Matchday Revenue£116mFigures based on official Liverpool FC 2024/25 annual financial accounts.He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, I’ve been monitoring Saudi football.
“And I remember when Saudi football, in 2017 when PIF came in and started buying the domestic clubs and creating the Saudi Premier League, there was a mad rush. ‘We’ve got to have Brazilians in charge, we’ve got to have Brazilian managers, we’ve got to get Brazilian players,’ because the Saudi concept was that Brazil was the best football place in the world. “They didn’t really understand football.
But they spent money, and they tried a lot of experiments. Gradually, their football intelligence and knowledge has progressed, and now they’re getting to understand the role of the strategic sports director like a Richard Hughes and the importance, and so they’ve gone for probably one of the best there is.