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Liverpool eye internal candidates to replace Hughes as Gakpo handed new role under Iraola

Liverpool have begun searching for a new sporting director after Richard Hughes stepped down, with technical director Julian Ward among the internal candidates. Cody Gakpo is also set for a fresh role under Andoni Iraola following Alexander Isak's £125m arrival.

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Liverpool eye internal candidates to replace Hughes as Gakpo handed new role under Iraola
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Liverpool are searching for a new sporting director after Richard Hughes officially stepped down from the role, with the club weighing up internal and external candidates to fill the vacancy.

Hughes, who joined from Bournemouth in 2024, oversaw a transformative period of recruitment at Anfield that included last summer’s £450 million spending spree. Liverpool broke the British transfer record twice during that window, signing Florian Wirtz for £116 million and Alexander Isak for £125 million.

According to The Athletic, technical director Julian Ward is among those being considered as a replacement. Ward first joined Liverpool in 2012 as a scout, having previously worked at Manchester City, and was promoted to assistant sporting director in 2020. He succeeded Michael Edwards as sporting director two years later, overseeing the arrivals of Luis Diaz, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai, as well as the £75 million signing of Darwin Nunez. He moved into the technical director role in 2024.

Assistant sporting director David Woodfine and FSG director of football development Pedro Marques are also understood to be under consideration. Liverpool have not ruled out an external appointment.

The boardroom uncertainty comes as manager Andoni Iraola begins to find his footing on the pitch. A 2-0 win at Ipswich Town on Friday — secured by two Alexander Isak goals inside the opening nine minutes — gave Liverpool their first Premier League victory of the season after back-to-back draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.

Isak’s brace took his tally to three goals in three league appearances, underlining why Liverpool were willing to invest a record fee in the Sweden international. With Isak now firmly established as the focal point of the attack, former Liverpool midfielder Jason McAteer has suggested Cody Gakpo could be handed a new role under Iraola to accommodate the shift in the team’s structure.

Liverpool next face Atletico Madrid at Anfield in the Champions League before hosting Fulham in the Premier League the following Saturday.

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