Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has been placed on a three-man shortlist for the same role at Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal, according to reports. Hughes, who joined the Reds at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, has been a key figure under manager Arne Slot, overseeing a record £449 million summer transfer splurge that brought in players including Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
Despite interest from Al-Hilal, Liverpool are understood to be content that Hughes will not leave, and the Saudi side have yet to make contact with the Premier League club. Hughes is under contract at Anfield until June 2027 and has a close working relationship with Michael Edwards, the chief executive of football for Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group.
Reports from the Middle East had previously claimed Hughes had agreed to join Al-Hilal, but The Telegraph now states he is merely on a shortlist. Were he to move, he would not start work until the summer. Al-Hilal, managed by Simone Inzaghi, are currently second in the Saudi Pro League, three points behind Al-Nassr, and count Karim Benzema, Ruben Neves and former Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez among their players.
Hughes was hired by Edwards from Bournemouth, where he oversaw the appointment of Andoni Iraola. His spell at Liverpool has coincided with a title-winning campaign in Slot's first season, but the club's defence of that crown has faltered, with Liverpool now fifth in the Premier League, 21 points behind leaders Arsenal, and battling for Champions League qualification.
