Liverpool's private Richard Hughes stance as sporting director 'on shortlist' for Saudi job

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has been linked with a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Hilal, despite only joining the Reds at the end of the 2023/24 season

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is being targeted by Saudi side Al-Hilal(Image: Getty Images)

Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal is reportedly keen on appointing Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, despite a challenging second season at Anfield. Hughes joined the Reds at the conclusion of the 2023/24 campaign and has played a pivotal role throughout the Arne Slot era.

In his capacity as sporting director, Hughes orchestrated Liverpool's striking summer transfer window, which saw record fees paid for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. Liverpool spent approximately £449 million ($599M) on transfer fees, with Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni also joining in a substantial squad rebuild following the Premier League title triumph in Slot's debut season.

However, matters haven't unfolded as planned since then, with Liverpool's title defence faltering from the outset and the new arrivals needing time to adapt. Reports first surfaced in January linking Hughes with a switch to the Saudi Pro League - and these rumors have now re-emerged.

Hughes is contracted to Liverpool until June 2027, but reports from the Middle East suggested he had reached an agreement to join Al-Hilal. The Telegraph has now revealed that he is, in fact, amongst a three-man shortlist for the sporting director position at the Saudi outfit.

Al-Hilal has not yet made contact with Liverpool and the club is believed to be confident that he won't be departing. The 46-year-old shares a close relationship with Michael Edwards, the chief executive of football for Liverpool's owners Fenway Sports Group, and has not yet completed two years in his role, reports the Mirror.

Should he decide to join Al-Hilal, Hughes would not commence work until the summer. Despite remaining unbeaten, the Riyadh-based outfit is presently second in the Pro League, three points adrift of Cristiano Ronaldo's Al-Nassr.

Richard Hughes was instrumental in appointing Arne Slot as Liverpool's head coach(Image: Andrew Powell, Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

They are owned by the country's Public Investment Fund, managed by former Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi and the squad features Karim Benzema, Ruben Neves, Joao Cancelo, Kalidou Koulibaly and former Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez.

Hughes may already be acquainted with Al-Hilal given it is amongst the Saudi Arabian clubs who have expressed interest in Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. That interest has persisted since 2023, when the Reds turned down a £150M ($200M) offer from Al-Ittihad for the Egyptian star, and intensified again in December following Salah's falling out with Slot.

Hughes was recruited by Edwards from a comparable position at Bournemouth, where he oversaw the appointment of Andoni Iraola. He stated he was "incredibly proud" to join Liverpool, where he has been supported with substantial financial backing from FSG.

Liverpool sits fifth in the Premier League, trailing leaders Arsenal by 21 points, and instead of challenging for the championship, it finds itself scrapping for a spot in next season's Champions League.

The Reds must overcome a 1-0 first-leg deficit in their last-16 encounter against Galatasaray at Anfield on Wednesday, and will face Manchester City in the FA Cup quarter-finals next month.