Report: Three names ‘likely to be considered’ to replace Richard Hughes as LFC sporting director

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Liverpool FC confirmed on Saturday that Richard Hughes has stepped down as the club’s sporting director, with attention now turning to candidates to replace him in the role.The 47-year-old leaves Anfield after two years in the job and is now expected to take up a similar position with Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia (The Athletic), a move which had been mooted earlier this year.Who could replace Hughes as sporting director?In an article for The Athletic, Gregg Evans described the Scot’s exit from LFC as ‘the worst-kept secret in football’, and he namecheked three potential successor who the club might now consider to succeed him.The reporter wrote: ‘Liverpool are expected to look at internal candidates to replace Hughes, but are not ruling out a new appointment.‘FSG’s technical director Julian Ward, who served as Liverpool’s sporting director in 2022/23, is likely to be considered, alongside the current assistant sporting director David Woodfine, and FSG’s director of football development Pedro Marques, all of whom continue to work at the club.’(Photo by Carl Recine/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 trustWhat will Hughes’ legacy at Liverpool ultimately be?Hughes may only have been in the job for two years, but he oversaw a sizeable transition of the playing squad at Anfield, with the club investing almost £700m in the past two summer transfer windows and spending £100m+ each on three players in Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Bradley Barcola.The 47-year-old also brokered several important contract extensions for Liverpool, including Mo Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, although the Egyptian would cut his deal short earlier this year and left Merseyside at the end of last season.However, the Scot’s work as sporting director came under intense scrutiny from the fan base this summer amid frustration that crucial positions which needed addressing weren’t resolved in the market – the lack of right-back and defensive midfield signings is a legitimate cause for frustration.The eventual fate of players like Wirtz, Isak and Barcola at Anfield will ultimately determine the legacy that Hughes leaves behind him, but LFC will have to make a fourth sporting director appointment in as many years after the exits of Michael Edwards (2022), Ward (2023), Jorg Schmadtke (2024) and now Hughes.The early signs are that the club will opt for a sense of continuity, as they did when appointing Ward to the role four years ago, but we just hope that whoever is next handed the role will proe to be a smart appointment and will remain in the post for several years so that the cycle of frequent change is ended.