Ranking all 13 of Richard Hughes’ first-team signings at Liverpool from best to worst

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After 13 first-team signings and more than £700m spent, Richard Hughes’ two-year spell as Liverpool’s sporting director is over.The Scotsman has become a divisive figure amongst supporters ever since he stepped into the role and signed only Federico Chiesa during his first summer in charge, and after the scattergun window of 2025 and the underwhelming summer that followed, Hughes leaves with a poor legacy.There is no doubt that he signed some very good players for Liverpool, but many of them simply have not delivered as of yet. The France international has not yet had the chance to justify his price-tag, or, as Isak and Wirtz have done to various degrees, make it look like a huge overpay.Going on what we know now, though, Barcola looks like a brilliant addition for Liverpool.Paris Saint-Germain did not want to lose him this summer, which is testament to the work Hughes and his team did in extracting the 24-year-old.

Again, the fee is a huge one, but the hope is that Barcola can take Liverpool’s attack to the next level with his pace, skills and goals, and for now he feels like a top signing.3 – Alexander Isak £125: 25 appearances, 7 goalsMaybe this is recency bias on the back of Isak’s two-goal display against Ipswich Town on Friday, but the Swede is finally starting to look like the player Liverpool thought they’d broken the British record transfer fee to sign last year.It has been a really difficult year for Isak, but there is little doubting his quality, and, just like Barcola, the feat of taking him from his previous club was an impressive operation led by Hughes.Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty ImagesNobody had expected that Isak would actually have been attainable when the 24/25 season ended, but Liverpool did the groundwork and though they had to be patient, eventually got their man. This list could look different when revisited at the end of the campaign, and it would not be a surprise if Isak finally comes good.4 – Jeremy Jacquet £60m: 3 appearances, 0 goalsLike Barcola, we are judging Jeremy Jacquet on potential, but at £60m, the deal to sign the centre-back from Rennes looks like a really good bit of business.Hughes swooped in ahead of Chelsea in January to reach an agreement that would see Jacquet move to Anfield in the summer, and from what we have seen in his early appearances, the 21-year-old will be a special player for years to come.There is a rawness there, and maybe some fans would have preferred a more ready-made replacement for Ibrahima Konate, but Jacquet has the potential to be one of the best defenders in the world and is already showing it.5 – Ronald Araujo Loan: 3 appearances, 0 goalsSome may scoff at Ronald Araujo being so high on this list, just as they did when the Uruguayan was signed on loan from Barcelona, but the truth is that he looks like a very smart addition for Liverpool.Araujo was brilliant at right-back against Ipswich, and having also done well during his first two appearances at centre-back, it is clear that his loan signing will be shrewd business from Hughes.It feels unlikely that Liverpool will exercise the option to buy Araujo for close to £50m, but if they do, it could still end up being an even better piece of wheeling and dealing.

Mamardashvili at least had potential, but the cut-price move for Federico Chiesa just did not really make sense.It has made even less in the two years that have passed, with Chiesa barely playing at all during his first year at the club, and looking a shadow of his former self during the second, in which he did contribute a little more.Somehow Liverpool failed to move the Italian on this summer, and though he may yet prove himself useful to Iraola, and was bought for a very low, no risk fee, he is essentially taking up one of the Reds’ non-homegrown spots while not offering much on the pitch. He is popular with supporters, but Chiesa has been a poor signing.Worst – Jeremie Frimpong: £29m: 37 appearances, 2 goalsWhen Liverpool looked for a replacement in the market for Trent Alexander-Arnold last summer, it is absolutely baffling how they ended up on Jeremie Frimpong.The Dutchman had played his best football as a right wing-back, and immediately looked like a bad fit for the Reds.Injury has not helped his cause, but it has become clear that Frimpong is not the answer that Liverpool are looking for.