Richard Hughes Leaves Liverpool for Al Hilal Amid Director Changes
Liverpool’s period of upheaval has taken another sharp turn, with sporting director Richard Hughes stepping down and preparing to join Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal.
The 47-year-old had only been in the role at Anfield since June 2024 after arriving from Bournemouth, yet his departure had long been anticipated despite a contract that ran to June 2027. His exit closes a short but eventful chapter in which he helped reshape Liverpool’s squad and coaching structure – and now hands Fenway Sports Group another major decision at the top of the football operation.
Big spending, big calls
Hughes walked into Liverpool at a moment of enormous change. Jurgen Klopp had just brought the curtain down on his era, and the club needed a new architect both on the touchline and behind the scenes.
Hughes quickly left his mark. He played a central role in appointing Arne Slot as Klopp’s successor, a bold move that paid off instantly when the Dutchman delivered Liverpool’s 20th Premier League title in his first season in charge.
Off the pitch, Hughes oversaw a lavish transfer outlay of around £200m in his first summer window, headlined by the capture of Bradley Barcola from Paris St-Germain. The spending did not stop there. He sanctioned a club-record £125m move for Alexander Isak and a £116m deal for Florian Wirtz, underlining Liverpool’s determination to stay at the top of English and European football.
For a while, it looked like a new machine had been built almost overnight.
From title high to fifth place
The momentum did not last. Slot’s second campaign failed to match the explosive start. Performances dipped, results followed, and Liverpool slid out of the title picture. A fifth-place finish, unacceptable for a club that had just reclaimed the Premier League crown, brought Slot’s tenure to an abrupt end.
Liverpool turned to Andoni Iraola, a coach Hughes knew well from their time together at Bournemouth. It was another decisive move from a sporting director who had already shown he was not afraid to make big calls in big moments.
Yet even as Iraola arrived, Hughes’ own future felt uncertain. Talk around his eventual departure never really faded, and now the move to Al Hilal has come into sharp focus.
A respectful farewell
In a statement released by Liverpool, Hughes struck a warm and measured tone as he said goodbye.
"I'll always follow and support the club with great affection, and I wish everyone involved nothing but success for this season and beyond," he said, drawing a line under a stint that was brief but far from quiet.
Mike Gordon, president of Fenway Sports Group, paid tribute to Hughes’ impact during a turbulent stretch for the club.
"Richard joined us at the start of a period of change, embracing that responsibility by leading our football operations department and overseeing recruitment while also providing valuable support to our coaching staff," Gordon said. "The results we achieved in these areas during this period are testament to this contribution. Nevertheless, we respect Richard's life choices and wish him and his family well in their next venture."
Liverpool’s next move
Hughes now heads to Al Hilal, one of the most powerful clubs in the rapidly expanding Saudi Pro League, taking his experience and aggressive recruitment track record to a league intent on pulling more of Europe’s elite into its orbit.
Liverpool, meanwhile, must once again adjust. A new manager in Iraola, a squad shaped by a departing sporting director, and a fanbase that has grown used to stability under Klopp now watch to see who will be trusted to steer the club’s long-term football strategy.
The next appointment in the sporting director’s office will say plenty about how Liverpool plan to navigate the post-Klopp era – and how they intend to keep pace in a game where the power map is shifting fast.
