Liverpool Seek Fourth Sporting Director After Richard Hughes Departure

Liverpool are hunting for a fourth sporting director in as many years after confirming Richard Hughes has stepped down from the role.

The 47-year-old’s exit has been on the cards for months. Hughes is expected to take up a similar position at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal and informed Liverpool early in the year that he intended to leave, shortly after his close ally Michael Edwards moved into the post of chief executive of football for Fenway Sports Group (FSG), the club’s owner.

Once that decision was made, Liverpool faced a choice: cut ties quickly or lean on continuity for one more window. With major summer business already in motion – including the £123m signing of Bradley Barcola – and Hughes working closely with new head coach Andoni Iraola, the club opted for stability. He stayed in place until the end of the transfer window to see the strategy through.

Liverpool are adamant there was no crossover. The club say Al-Hilal made no approach for Hughes to begin work this summer and that they are satisfied he acted solely on Liverpool’s behalf throughout the window.

The next phase begins immediately. FSG president Mike Gordon, who resumed day-to-day oversight of the club after Edwards’ move upstairs, is leading the search for Hughes’s successor. Whoever comes in will be the fourth man to hold the sporting director brief since Edwards left the post in 2022, following Julian Ward, Jörg Schmadtke and Hughes himself.

For all the churn at the top of the recruitment department, Liverpool insist the broader football structure remains steady. Ward now operates as technical director for FSG, with Pedro Marques serving as director of football development. Assistant sporting director David Woodfine stays in place, as do chief scout Barry Hunter and the senior leadership team at the training centre.

The framework is there. The question now is who FSG trust to step into one of the most scrutinised jobs in modern football – and how long the next sporting director will last on Merseyside.