Who will be new Liverpool sporting director - and what issues do they face?
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Who will be new Liverpool sporting director - and what issues do they face?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Michael Edwards (centre) and Richard Hughes (centre-right) have both left Liverpool this summer.With Richard Hughes' move to Al-Hilal now confirmed, Liverpool are seeking a new sporting director for the fifth time since 2022.Hughes joined Liverpool in the summer of 2024 and oversaw the appointments of Arne Slot then Andoni Iraola. Do Liverpool try to keep Alisson and Van Dijk?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Van Dijk and Alisson both joined Liverpool in 2018Alisson's deal expires at the end of the season and although Juventus were interested in the Brazil goalkeeper this summer, Liverpool had no intention of letting him leave.Iraola appointed Alisson one of his vice-captains and the 33-year-old has started in all three of their league games so far.
He remains comfortably their best goalkeeper even if he is not at his peak.Liverpool are not short of options, although Giorgi Mamardashvili has not fully convinced thus far while 18-year-old Lucca Brughmans will arrive next summer from Genk in a deal worth up to £30m but is unlikely to be viewed as an immediate first choice.Alisson has been one of Liverpool's best players during a period in which they won two Premier League titles and a Champions League and the new sporting director will have to decide whether to try and keep him at Anfield next season. Having lost senior figures Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson at the end of last season, Liverpool need experience, so losing both Alisson and Van Dijk in the same close season would carry risk.After an extended break following the World Cup, the 35-year-old has played every minute of Liverpool's league campaign so far and although he may not be quite the force he once was, he is still comfortably one of Europe's best centre-backs.Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye have huge potential and the new sporting director may view Van Dijk as the perfect player for them to learn from.What about Liverpool's midfield and attack?Iraola believes Liverpool have "good numbers" in midfield despite not strengthening that position over the summer following Curtis Jones' move to Inter Milan.Faith has been placed in Trey Nyoni to feature more this season and the 19-year-old was one of the standouts of Liverpool's pre-season tour of the USA.
The Netherlands forward has one goal and three assists already this season, but if they were able to sign a new winger and received another lucrative bid for Gakpo, that could be a scenario the club revisit.Building a relationship with IraolaWhen the question of stability was put to Billy Hogan, Liverpool's CEO, this summer, he told BBC Sport: "I would send a message that we are in a very healthy place as a football club - the leadership from the ownership is in a very steady place and we're looking forward to the next season and the season ahead."However this has been a summer where Liverpool have changed managers, welcomed new investors, lost a number of senior players and seen their sporting director leave a year earlier than expected. Michael Edwards, who appointed Hughes, also resigned as FSG's CEO of Football.Hughes, who is understood to have been influenced by Edwards' departure, was integral in the decision to sack Slot and appoint Iraola and ultimately the new sporting director will have a big say in the Spaniard's future.When he joined Liverpool, Iraola said he only signed a two-year-deal because he didn't just want to be somewhere because he had a contract.His relationship with Hughes from their time at Bournemouth played a part in him getting the Liverpool job.