Richard Hughes did something which made no sense this summer and Liverpool are now paying for it - opinion
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Richard Hughes has made very few mistakes since coming in as sporting director. The Reds really are astute operators in the transfer market and hardly ever miss a trick, with this summer proof of that.Well, at least on paper that is, as Liverpool have brought in a lot of top talent, but the majority of them are still yet to find their feet.
Join our newsletter for news & smart analysis. Hughes is the driving force behind all these deals, meaning there is good reason to believe that these players will come good, although there appears to be one big problem elsewhere.Just a few months ago, it looked like the sporting director knew exactly what he was doing when it came to this position on the pitch, but fast forward to now, and his decision is coming back to bite the Reds.Photo by Robbie Jay Barratt – AMA/Getty ImagesLiverpool refused to buy a winger for the sake of Rio Ngumoha, but now never play himLiverpool lost some key players over the summer, with one of these being Luis Diaz, with the Colombian joining Bayern Munich.He was one of the Reds’ best attackers last season and was their second-highest scorer, meaning that it seemed sensible to go and replace him.Liverpool chose not to, though, as they did not want to block Rio Ngumoha’s path, which at the time, showed just how much faith they had in the teenager.But now, the Englishman hardly gets a look-in and often does not even come off the bench despite the left wing area being a bit of a problem position at the moment.
Cody Gakpo has not done a bad job, but he is no Diaz, indicating that a replacement really should have been brought in if Ngumoha was not going to be fully trusted just yet.READ MORE: Whether Liverpool have a recall clause included in Harvey Elliott’s loan move to Aston VillaNgumoha has played just 207 minutes across all competitions and just 30 minutes in the Premier League, and based on Liverpool’s dire situation, this is unlikely to increase any time soon.Liverpool need to buy a winger in JanuaryAlthough Liverpool cannot just keep throwing money at it and hope something sticks, there are still areas that need improving despite a big summer of spending already.The left wing position is one of them due to Diaz’s departure and the Reds struggling since he left, with this needing to be addressed before the end of the season. Antione Semenyo is heavily linked with a move, although he would cost a fair bit, especially if he is to leave mid-season, but he might be the right fit.He has had a sensational start to the season, picking up from where he left off last campaign, and at 25, this might be his time to get a big move.