Richard Hughes to join former colleague at new club

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Richard Hughes’ future has been the subject of speculation for months at Liverpool with Saudi Arabia slated as his likely destination. Image Credits: Imago ImagesRichard Hughes’ future has been the subject of speculation for months, with Liverpool supporters increasingly questioning whether the club’s sporting director is the right man to lead a crucial period of squad building.Despite only being relatively early into his time in the role, Hughes has already come under pressure from sections of the fanbase, particularly following criticism of Liverpool’s perceived transfer shortcomings in the summer of 2025.Some supporters have argued that the Reds failed to build a fully balanced squad, with concerns lingering over depth, squad profile and whether the recruitment strategy has properly addressed the team’s long-term needs.That frustration has helped fuel recurring rumours over Hughes’ position, even though his current Liverpool contract is believed to run until 2027.

For a club expected to stay aggressive and efficient in the market, any sense of drift behind the scenes was always likely to attract attention.According to The i Paper, Hughes is set to leave Liverpool at the conclusion of the upcoming summer transfer window and take up a new role at Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal. The report claims the move would see him reunite with Simon Francis.The two worked together at Bournemouth.

Francis moved into the club’s recruitment setup after retiring and became assistant technical director in June 2021, working under Hughes before later succeeding him in the technical director role in 2024.However, it should be noted that there have been plenty of conflicting reports on whether Hughes will leave Liverpool this summer.Sky Sports reported in April that the Liverpool chief is expected to remain at the club over the summer, so it’s definitely interesting that there are so many different reports going around.There is rarely smoke without fire in the transfer market, meaning the Scot’s situation is definitely one to keep an eye on heading into the summer and beyond. Al-Hilal Richard Hughes