Liverpool announced on Saturday that Sporting Director Richard Hughes has left his position. This occurred several weeks after Michael Edwards stepped down as the football club's chief executive officer.
It is reported that Hughes plans to take on a similar role at Saudi club Al-Hilal. In the previous summer transfer window, he oversaw Liverpool's largest spending in history, bringing in stars such as Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike for a total of 450 million pounds sterling ($611 million).
The club also spent heavily in the recent window, signing French winger Bradley Barkolu as a key star.
During Hughes' two years at the club, Arne Slot, the coach who has since left, led Liverpool to its 20th Premier League title, a record set in the 2024/25 season.
However, the former Scottish player was also heavily criticized for leaving both Slot and Liverpool's new manager, Andoni Iraola, with an unbalanced squad lacking players in key areas such as midfield and defense.
Hughes stated: 'It was a great pride to have the opportunity to serve this incredible and unique institution. I will always be grateful for it.' He continued: 'My gratitude extends to the management for their support and leadership, to the club staff at all levels who put in so much effort to make Liverpool FC what it is, to the players who make enormous contributions, and to the fans who support the team in large numbers.'
Mike Gordon, president of Liverpool's owner Fenway Sports Group (FSG), noted: 'Richard joined us at the beginning of a period of change, taking on this responsibility by leading our football operations department and overseeing recruitment, while providing valuable support to our coaching staff. The results we achieved in these areas during this period attest to this contribution. Nevertheless, we respect Richard's life choices and wish him and his family all the best in his next endeavor.'
Last month, FSG sold nearly a 40% stake in the Premier League giant to a consortium that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.
