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. He informed the club earlier this year that he wanted to pursue a new challenge in Saudi Arabia.
Mike Gordon, the president of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), is overseeing the process of finding Hughes' replacement, with Liverpool keen to make a swift appointment. Liverpool will look at internal candidates, but have not ruled out the possibility of appointing someone from outside the club. There is a desire to have someone that is committed long term.
And what challenges do they face? David Woodfine, who was Hughes' assistant and was previously Liverpool's director of loans is one potential candidate. Woodfine was pictured giving Iraola a tour of the facilities at the AXA Training Centre when he arrived in June.
Another is Julian Ward, who was Liverpool's sporting director between 2022 and 2023 and oversaw the signings of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez. He is now FSG's technical director. Pedro Marques is FSG's director of football development and was previously the technical director at Benfica, where he helped sign Enzo Fernandez for £10m and before that, a first-team performance analyst at Manchester City.
Outside Anfield, Luis Campos at Paris St-Germain would be the strongest appointment but he is unlikely to view his immediate future away from the European champions. Whoever replaces Hughes - who has also taken two members of Liverpool's recruitment staff in Mark Burchill and Craig McKee to the Middle East - they will have plenty to address. Alisson'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.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
