Richard Hughes' final task clear as Liverpool sporting director speculation continues
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Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is being linked with a move away from Anfield in the wake of Michael Edwards departingAnother day, another seismic shift behind the scenes regards Liverpool. Well, Fenway Sports Group to be precise, with it announced on Friday their CEO of football Michael Edwards has left the company after two years in the role.While Edwards was under the FSG umbrella and not a direct employee of the Reds, there's little doubt he had some level of influence over proceedings at Anfield having worked at the club for 11 years before departing in 2022.But if that situation has now been resolved, the same cannot be said with that of Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, who continues to be heavily linked with a move to Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal after the current transfer window.It is a move that appears increasingly likely.
Our ECHO writers take a look...Paul GorstIt's easy to understand why supporters might fear that the man supplying Andoni Iraola with the right tools for his Liverpool squad appears to be heading for pastures new in Saudi Arabia.And with Richard Hughes expected to join his close friend and former Bournemouth colleague, Simon Francis, at Al Hilal, the idea the Reds' sporting director might be playing for time at Anfield has been floated.The theory suggests that if Hughes is not around to see how the decisions he is making now pan out - like appointing Iraola on a two-year deal - he might not be 100% committed to making them all a success.In truth, that perhaps questions the professional pride of the former Bournemouth chief a bit too aggressively. There has been no hint at Anfield is Hughes is not doing his utmost to furnish the playing squad for Iraola this summer.There is also a school of thought that Hughes, despite hiring Arne Slot - the head coach who oversaw the Premier League - is at the table negotiating for his Anfield legacy this summer.There's no question that Liverpool's squad needs work.
That might sound harsh given the title win last year but that likely means working flat out until the transfer deadline.It's going to be a busy summer for Hughes, regardless of whether Michael Edwards is in place as FSG's CEO of football.FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageIan DoyleIt doesn't seem that long ago the mere concept of a sporting director was alien to English football, let alone Liverpool.Time, though, rarely stands still, and the importance of such a role has perhaps been increased - at least in the eyes of Reds supporters - by the success of so many signings made during the period Michael Edwards held the position with Jurgen Klopp as boss.Of course, there's always been a rough equivalent of a sporting director working at a club, even if often, at least in England, it ended up being under the partial remit of the manager.But usually it's difficult to judge the influence of a sporting director in the short-term.