Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes is attracting a lot of interest from Saudi Arabia and Al-Hilal in particular, as Fabrizio Romano now confirms.
When Hughes arrived at Liverpool in 2024, the club was at a crossroads.
Jürgen Klopp had said goodbye, Arne Slot was the new man in the dugout, and there were significant questions about whether FSG could attract the level of recruiting talent needed to rebuild for the new era.
Hughes answered those questions emphatically.
In his second transfer window of the summer, the former Bournemouth director presided over a series of signed statements that sent a message across the Premier League.
Alexander Isak arrived from Newcastle. Florian Wirtz – one of the most sought-after midfielders in European football – has been secured from Bayer Leverkusen. Hugo Ekitiké added another firefighter. The desire was unquestionable, and the investment was huge.
Liverpool are now leading the race to sign the £208k-a-week Champions League star who has held talks with Chelsea.
The Reds are in pole position.
It was not a smooth ride. There have been questions about the impact of some of these players who came to the tent, as the squad of the squad sometimes fails to keep up with it.
There was also the suggestion that Hughes had reportedly bypassed the Slot in the sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich – a decision that raised eyebrows about the Anfield dynamic.
But in terms of the club’s approach, the way forward is clear: Liverpool spend big, think big, and compete at the highest level in the European transfer market. Hughes was at the center of it all.
That’s why what Romano revealed this week will have raised eyebrows in the red half of Merseyside.
Fabrizio Romano reveals Richard Hughes’ stance on Liverpool exit
According to Romano, speaking on his YouTube channel, Saudi Pro League giants Al-Hilal have identified Hughes as their top target for the director of football role – and the interest is serious.
Romano was vague about confirming the story.
“According to reports from Saudi Arabia, and I can assure you that it is true, that Richard Hughes, the director of Liverpool, is attracting Saudi Arabia, especially from Al-Hilal.
“Therefore, Richard Hughes is now the clear favorite to be the future director at Al-Hilal.”
It is at this point, however, that the situation gets worse – because Hughes himself does not push the exit door.
“Richard Hughes remains totally and completely committed to the Liverpool project and is very happy at the club,” continued Romano.
“So he remains completely focused on the Liverpool project, but the interest from Saudi is true. They are trying in Saudi to find a solution for Richard Hughes, for now, for the future. Let’s see if they will be able to find a way to appoint Richard Hughes, but I can guarantee the admiration, I can guarantee the interest. Let’s see what Richard Hughes decides to do”.
That last line is the important one. Hughes is happy. You are committed.
Liverpool will be watching this very closely.
Losing Hughes now, with a summer rebuild likely looming and the manager’s situation unresolved, would be a huge blow at the worst possible time.
However, it seems that he is not crying for the exit door.
Liverpool are now considering offloading Andy Robertson for the “good” Brazilian forward
Robertson’s contract expires in the summer.
