Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes set to leave Anfield for Al Hilal in 2027

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is set to leave Anfield at the end of his contract in the summer of 2027, with Al Hilal of the Saudi Pro League understood to be his next destination.

Hughes joined Liverpool in March 2024 on a deal running through to 2027, but according to The Athletic, both he and Al Hilal are currently operating on the assumption that he will join the club’s hierarchy once that contract concludes. This summer’s transfer window is expected to be his last at Liverpool before a transition period allows his successor to settle into the role.

The move would reunite Hughes with Simon Francis, his former Bournemouth team-mate and colleague in the club’s technical department. Francis, who replaced Hughes as Bournemouth’s technical director when he departed for Liverpool, has already joined Al Hilal and is leading their transfer activity.

Hughes remains fully focused on his current responsibilities at Liverpool, which include overseeing ongoing transfer business and supporting new head coach Andoni Iraola — a manager he knows from their shared time at Bournemouth. Alongside FSG chief executive of football Michael Edwards, Hughes played a central role in hiring Arne Slot following Jurgen Klopp’s exit and oversaw a transfer window in which Liverpool broke the British transfer record twice. Slot has since been replaced by Iraola.

Al Hilal represent one of Saudi Arabia’s most decorated clubs, having won the Saudi Pro League four times in five years before that run ended with their 2024 title. They also claimed the King’s Cup last season. The club is managed by former Inter Milan head coach Simone Inzaghi, who left the San Siro in 2025 and is reported to be earning around £20 million per year in Riyadh. Their squad includes Karim Benzema, Darwin Nunez, Ruben Neves, and Kalidou Koulibaly.

In an ironic twist, Nunez — who moved to Al Hilal from Liverpool — has been linked with a return to Anfield, with the Reds mentioned as a surprise potential destination should he leave the Saudi club.