Liverpool have begun the search for a new sporting director following Richard Hughes’ departure for Al-Hilal, with Fenway Sports Group placing particular importance on finding someone prepared to provide long-term stability at Anfield.
Hughes formally stepped down on September 5 after two years in the position. Liverpool confirmed that he had informed the club’s ownership of his desire to pursue a new challenge, while Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal announced a day later that the 47-year-old had started work as their new sporting director.
The immediate priority for Liverpool is now not simply replacing Hughes quickly.
It is finding the right executive for a football department that has experienced considerable senior-level change over the past several seasons.
According to BBC reporting, FSG president Mike Gordon is overseeing the process, Liverpool will assess internal possibilities as well as external candidates, and there is a clear preference for someone willing to commit to the role for the longer term.
That last requirement may be the most important.
Liverpool have changed sporting directors repeatedly since 2022, while this summer alone has brought a new head coach, a major squad rebuild and the departure of former FSG chief executive of football Michael Edwards.
The next sporting director will therefore inherit considerably more than a transfer-market job.
They will become one of the key people responsible for maintaining Liverpool’s football strategy under Andoni Iraola.
Supporters can follow the team throughout that transition through SoccerMatchToday’s Liverpool team and the wider Premier League section.
Richard Hughes Leaves Liverpool After Two Years
Hughes joined Liverpool from Bournemouth in June 2024, having previously spent a decade working within Bournemouth’s football operation.
His appointment was part of Liverpool’s restructuring after Jürgen Klopp’s departure.
Michael Edwards, who had returned to oversee football operations for Fenway Sports Group, selected Hughes for the sporting director role. Liverpool’s original announcement highlighted their previous working relationship as well as Hughes’ extensive recruitment and football-management experience.
His two years at Anfield included major success and significant upheaval.
Hughes helped oversee the appointment of Arne Slot, who delivered Liverpool’s 20th English league title in the 2024/25 season.
When Slot was dismissed after the following campaign, Hughes was again centrally involved in the coaching decision, this time helping bring former Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola to Liverpool.
Liverpool’s official farewell statement credited Hughes with leading football operations, overseeing recruitment and supporting the coaching staff throughout a major transitional period.
Hughes’ Move to Al-Hilal Is Now Official
There is no longer uncertainty about Hughes’ next destination.
Al-Hilal officially confirmed his appointment on September 6, stating that Hughes had arrived in Riyadh and begun his duties as sporting director.
The Saudi club said the appointment forms part of its effort to improve recruitment, scouting and integration across its football operation.
That makes the sequence clear:
- Hughes decided he wanted a new challenge;
- Liverpool agreed he would remain through the summer transfer window;
- he stepped down immediately after that window;
- and Al-Hilal subsequently confirmed his appointment.
Liverpool were therefore able to complete their major summer business before changing the person leading their football operations.
Why Hughes Stayed Until the Transfer Window Closed?
The timing of his departure was deliberate.
Hughes had reportedly made Liverpool aware earlier in the year that he intended to leave, but substantial transfer work had already been undertaken.
Rather than changing senior leadership midway through negotiations, the parties agreed he would remain until the summer window had been completed.
That mattered because Liverpool were engaged in one of their most ambitious periods of recruitment in recent years.
Among the major transactions under Hughes were deals involving Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola, with Reuters also highlighting the scale of Liverpool’s recruitment activity during his tenure.
Barcola ultimately became one of Hughes’ final major Liverpool deals before his departure.
The France international arrived from Paris Saint-Germain in a transfer potentially worth £123 million, adding another elite forward to Iraola’s new-look squad.
That continuity allowed Liverpool to avoid disrupting negotiations simply because the sporting director’s longer-term future had already been decided.
Liverpool Want Stability This Time
This is arguably the most important part of the current search.
BBC Sport reports that Liverpool want someone who can make a long-term commitment to the sporting director position.
The reason is obvious when the recent history is considered.
Liverpool have had repeated changes in the position since Michael Edwards first stepped away from the role in 2022.
Julian Ward succeeded Edwards.
Jörg Schmadtke later filled the position.
Hughes then arrived in 2024.
Now another appointment is required.
The BBC described this as Liverpool searching for a sporting director for the fifth time since 2022.
For a club whose previous success was often associated with structural continuity and clearly defined decision-making, that is a significant amount of turnover.
Liverpool therefore need more than an experienced transfer negotiator.
They need someone around whom their football department can stabilise.
Mike Gordon Is Leading the Search
The appointment process is being led by Mike Gordon, president of Fenway Sports Group.
That is significant because Gordon has again become increasingly hands-on with Liverpool’s football operations following Michael Edwards’ departure.
The Guardian reported in July that Gordon was expected to resume greater oversight after Edwards resigned as FSG’s chief executive of football.
Now he is responsible for one of Liverpool’s most consequential off-field decisions.
The sporting director will work across recruitment, squad planning and the relationship between the club’s executive structure and first-team coaching staff.
That means Gordon must consider more than a candidate’s transfer record.
Liverpool need someone who fits their overall football philosophy.
Internal Candidates Will Be Considered
Liverpool are not restricting their search to outside appointments.
BBC reporting states that internal candidates will be considered, although the club has not ruled out recruiting someone from elsewhere.
That creates several logical possibilities within the existing structure.
Liverpool still have experienced senior football executives working around the club and FSG.
Among them are:
- David Woodfine – assistant sporting director
- Julian Ward – FSG technical director
- Pedro Marques – FSG director of football development
- Barry Hunter – chief scout
Those individuals remain part of the football operations structure under Gordon’s oversight.
It is important, however, to separate logical possibilities from confirmed candidates.
Liverpool have not publicly announced an official shortlist.
Reports identifying Woodfine, Ward or Marques as potential successors should therefore be understood as informed speculation about internal options rather than confirmation that any has formally been offered the job.
David Woodfine Is an Obvious Internal Name
If Liverpool want continuity, David Woodfine is an understandable candidate to consider.
He is currently the assistant sporting director and already knows Liverpool’s recruitment processes, staff and wider football operation.
Woodfine also has a long history with the club.
He previously worked in several Liverpool roles involving scouting operations, football projects and loans before returning as part of the revamped structure in 2024.
That existing knowledge would give him one obvious advantage over an external appointment: there would be little requirement for a lengthy period of organisational adaptation.
The disadvantage is that Liverpool may decide the latest leadership change presents an opportunity to introduce a new perspective.
That is the balance Gordon must assess.
Julian Ward Already Knows the Sporting Director Role
Julian Ward represents another interesting internal possibility because he has previously performed the exact job Liverpool are now trying to fill.
Ward succeeded Edwards as Liverpool sporting director before leaving the position in 2023.
He later returned within FSG’s broader football structure and currently serves as technical director.
His familiarity with Liverpool’s recruitment model, analytics operation and executive structure would make him a natural name whenever succession is discussed.
But again, there is currently no official confirmation that Ward is the preferred choice.
Liverpool may determine that his present FSG role is more valuable, or Ward himself may prefer remaining within the wider football structure rather than returning to day-to-day sporting director responsibilities.
Pedro Marques Offers a Different Internal Profile
Pedro Marques is another senior figure who remains within the operation.
His role as FSG director of football development gives him responsibilities broader than traditional first-team recruitment.
That could be valuable if Liverpool want their next sporting director to think beyond individual transfer windows.
Modern sporting directors increasingly oversee areas such as:
- squad succession planning;
- academy pathways;
- player development;
- recruitment data;
- contract strategy;
- first-team and youth integration; and
- long-range roster planning.
Liverpool’s next appointment will have to operate across several of these areas.
This is one reason the club cannot simply select whoever has recently completed the most impressive transfer.
Liverpool Could Still Look Outside Anfield
An external appointment remains very possible.
BBC reporting makes clear that Liverpool have not ruled out bringing someone in from another club.
That would broaden the pool considerably.
One early speculative link has been Eintracht Frankfurt sporting executive Markus Krösche, although reporting around him remains at the rumour stage and should not be treated as evidence that Liverpool have made an approach.
This distinction will become increasingly important.
Whenever a major club begins searching for a sporting director, executives from successful recruitment clubs are quickly linked.
Not every name represents genuine Liverpool interest.
Until stronger reporting or an official approach emerges, the safest position is that Liverpool are conducting a process containing both internal and external possibilities.
The New Sporting Director Will Inherit a Very Different Liverpool
Whoever succeeds Hughes will not be taking over the same Liverpool team he inherited in 2024.
The squad has undergone extensive change.
Several pillars of the Klopp era have moved on, while Liverpool have invested enormous sums in establishing a younger core.
Alexander Isak is now the leading striker.
Florian Wirtz has become a central creative piece.
Bradley Barcola has joined the attack.
A number of other younger players have been recruited with long-term development in mind.
The new sporting director’s job will therefore be less about initiating a rebuild and more about determining whether the expensive rebuild already undertaken can be turned into a sustainable winning squad.
Supporters can follow how those players perform through SoccerMatchToday’s Liverpool results section.
Working With Andoni Iraola Will Be Central to the Appointment
Perhaps the most important relationship for Hughes’ successor will be with Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool appointed the Spanish coach this summer after dismissing Arne Slot.
Hughes’ influence was significant.
He had originally taken Iraola to Bournemouth in 2023 and maintained a strong professional relationship with him. When Liverpool needed a new coach, Hughes played a leading role in bringing Iraola to Anfield.
That relationship is now gone.
The next sporting director must build their own working partnership with Iraola.
This matters because the sporting director and head coach do not operate independently.
Recruitment decisions depend on tactical requirements.
Player development depends on the coach’s willingness to use particular profiles.
Contract decisions depend partly on how players fit the manager’s plans.
Successful clubs need alignment between those functions.
Iraola’s Two-Year Contract Adds Another Layer
Liverpool’s choice also has implications for Iraola’s longer-term future.
BBC reporting notes that Iraola signed a two-year contract when he arrived, explaining that he did not want to remain somewhere simply because a long contract forced him to do so.
That makes the relationship with Hughes’ successor particularly important.
Iraola was recruited partly because of the footballing vision shared with Hughes.
Now another executive will have significant influence over the structure around him and, eventually, decisions involving his future.
If the partnership succeeds, Liverpool could gain the stability they are currently seeking.
If the sporting director and head coach disagree fundamentally about recruitment or playing style, another major transition could arrive sooner than anyone at Anfield would want.
Hughes Was Involved in Both Slot and Iraola Appointments
One reason replacing Hughes is strategically significant is the scope of his responsibilities.
He was not simply responsible for buying and selling players.
Hughes played a major role in selecting Liverpool’s coaches.
He helped appoint Slot when Klopp left.
After Liverpool decided Slot’s second season had not met expectations, Hughes was involved again in identifying Iraola as the preferred successor.
This illustrates what a modern sporting director actually does.
The position sits near the centre of football strategy.
If the head coach leaves, the sporting director helps determine the replacement.
If a major player is sold, the sporting director helps build the succession plan.
If the academy contains players ready for senior football, the sporting director helps ensure pathways exist.
The next appointment therefore has potential consequences for Liverpool far beyond the January transfer window.
Michael Edwards’ Departure Changed Liverpool’s Hierarchy
Hughes’ exit also cannot be viewed completely separately from the departure of Michael Edwards.
Edwards returned to FSG in 2024 as chief executive of football and helped design the structure that included Hughes as Liverpool sporting director.
He resigned from that position in July 2026 after FSG’s plans for a wider multi-club football model changed.
Reports have suggested Edwards’ decision was one factor influencing Hughes’ desire to move on.
Within a matter of months, Liverpool therefore lost two important members of the leadership structure created after Klopp left.
That helps explain why FSG’s emphasis on long-term commitment matters.
Constantly rebuilding the hierarchy makes strategic continuity more difficult.
The Football Department Is Not Starting From Zero
Despite those departures, it would be misleading to portray Liverpool as having no football leadership in place.
Ward remains.
Marques remains.
Woodfine remains.
Hunter remains.
And Gordon is providing ownership-level oversight.
The underlying recruitment and scouting departments have therefore not disappeared with Hughes.
This should allow Liverpool to continue normal football operations while Gordon conducts the appointment process.
That continuity is particularly useful because January planning normally begins well before January itself.
Potential targets, outgoing players and contract discussions are monitored continually.
Liverpool cannot suspend that work simply because one senior executive has left.
Recruitment Will Remain Under Scrutiny
The next sporting director will also inherit considerable pressure surrounding squad construction.
Hughes oversaw exceptionally expensive recruitment.
Some of those deals could ultimately become outstanding investments.
Others remain under examination.
That is normal after a rebuild of this magnitude.
The important point is that the new sporting director should not arrive and immediately reverse every previous decision simply to establish their own authority.
Recruitment works best when clubs maintain a consistent player-profile strategy rather than changing philosophy whenever an executive changes.
Liverpool will want the next appointment to assess what already exists, identify genuine weaknesses and then improve the squad selectively.
The club’s league progress can be monitored through SoccerMatchToday’s Premier League standings as Iraola’s first season develops.
Liverpool Cannot Afford Another Short-Term Appointment
This is ultimately why the long-term requirement matters.
Football leadership becomes most effective when decisions can be evaluated across several windows.
Young players may need two seasons before reaching their expected level.
Expensive transfers may initially struggle.
Academy prospects require pathways planned years ahead.
Contracts must be renewed before they become urgent.
A sporting director working under the assumption that they may leave within 12 months cannot shape those processes as effectively as someone building a multi-year plan.
Liverpool’s recent turnover makes that problem particularly relevant.
The club do not merely need somebody to manage January.
They need someone capable of thinking about 2027, 2028 and beyond.
Why Liverpool Will Still Want to Move Quickly?
Long-term thinking does not mean the club can take indefinitely to make the appointment.
BBC Sport reports Liverpool are keen to make the decision swiftly.
There are practical reasons.
The January transfer window is only a few months away.
Contract discussions continue throughout the autumn.
Scouting priorities need to be agreed.
And the new sporting director needs enough time to evaluate Iraola’s squad before making major decisions.
Liverpool therefore face a familiar recruitment tension.
They need urgency without rushing.
Hiring the wrong person quickly would solve nothing.
Waiting too long could leave important football decisions without clear leadership.
Liverpool’s Next Sporting Director Could Shape the Iraola Era
Richard Hughes leaves behind a complicated legacy.
He helped oversee a Premier League title.
He was central to two major coaching appointments.
He conducted some of the largest transfers in Liverpool’s history.
But his departure after only two years also contributes to a wider question about stability within Liverpool’s football leadership.
The club now has an opportunity to address that.
Liverpool have confirmed that the succession process is under way, while BBC reporting indicates that Mike Gordon is assessing both internal and external possibilities with long-term commitment an important criterion.
No successor has been announced.
No official shortlist has been published.
And speculation around individual candidates should therefore be treated carefully.
What is clear is the importance of the appointment.
The successful candidate will inherit an expensive, talented squad, work alongside a recently appointed head coach and become a central figure in deciding how Liverpool evolve after another period of major change.
For Liverpool, this search is not simply about replacing Richard Hughes.
It is about finding the person capable of providing the football department with something Anfield has lacked at sporting-director level in recent years:
continuity.
Fans can follow the next stage of Iraola’s Liverpool project through SoccerMatchToday’s Liverpool fixtures, Liverpool results and the main Premier League hub.
