Report: Liverpool fans will be stunned as Richard Hughes ‘completes the signing’ of £50m forward

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Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has reportedly overseen the signing of a forward for £50m – but the player in question isn’t coming to Anfield.The 47-year-old is set to leave his post on Merseyside for a similar role at Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal once his contract with the Reds expires next year, with The Athletic reporting in July that he’d be ‘fully focused’ on LFC’s transfer business this summer.However, reports which have emerged online over the past 24 hours would seem to negate that latter statement.Hughes reportedly oversees Watkins transfer to Al-HilalAccording to one well-respected source on X, Hughes has ‘completed the signing’ of Ollie Watkins for Al-Hilal despite still being contracted to Liverpool.As per Sky Sports, the England striker has left Aston Villa for the Saudi Pro League in a £50m transfer, with Unai Emery’s side having already replaced him with the £65m acquisition of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.(Photo by Richard Pelham/Getty Images)Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trustHughes has been neglecting his duties at LiverpoolIf these reports are accurate and Hughes was indeed the orchestrator of Watkins’ move to Al-Hilal, then Liverpool fans would have every right to be up in arms.Perhaps the 47-year-old would do well to remember that he’s currently contracted to the Merseyside club and not the one in Riyadh, and the Reds’ transfer dealings should be his only priority in the final days of the summer window.The sporting director hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory at Anfield over the past few months, with only two new first-team additions completed since the end of last season, one of whom (Ronald Araujo) is on loan – the deal for Jeremy Jacquet was agreed in early February.Hughes might be about to pull off the marquee addition of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, but Liverpool’s summer transfer window has still left a lot to be desired, and it could get even worse if Cody Gakpo is inexplicably allowed to join Manchester City.The Scot hasn’t brought in a defensive midfielder, either, and it compounds the torment that he’s failed to see the need to address that void in Andoni Iraola’s line-up despite it being his primary position during his playing career with Bournemouth and Portsmouth.Unless there’s a drastic turnaround in the coming days and months, the 47-year-old’s reign as LFC sporting director won’t be recalled fondly in years to come.