Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has reportedly overseen the signing of a forward for £50m – but the player in question isn’t coming to Anfield.
The 47-year-old is set to leave his post on Merseyside for a similar role at Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal once his contract with the Reds expires next year, with The Athletic reporting in July that he’d be ‘fully focused’ on LFC’s transfer business this summer.
However, reports which have emerged online over the past 24 hours would seem to negate that latter statement.
Hughes reportedly oversees Watkins transfer to Al-Hilal
According to one well-respected source on X, Hughes has ‘completed the signing’ of Ollie Watkins for Al-Hilal despite still being contracted to Liverpool.
As per Sky Sports, the England striker has left Aston Villa for the Saudi Pro League in a £50m transfer, with Unai Emery’s side having already replaced him with the £65m acquisition of Nicolas Jackson from Chelsea.
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Hughes has been neglecting his duties at Liverpool
If these reports are accurate and Hughes was indeed the orchestrator of Watkins’ move to Al-Hilal, then Liverpool fans would have every right to be up in arms.
Perhaps the 47-year-old would do well to remember that he’s currently contracted to the Merseyside club and not the one in Riyadh, and the Reds’ transfer dealings should be his only priority in the final days of the summer window.
The sporting director hasn’t exactly covered himself in glory at Anfield over the past few months, with only two new first-team additions completed since the end of last season, one of whom (Ronald Araujo) is on loan – the deal for Jeremy Jacquet was agreed in early February.
Hughes might be about to pull off the marquee addition of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, but Liverpool’s summer transfer window has still left a lot to be desired, and it could get even worse if Cody Gakpo is inexplicably allowed to join Manchester City.
The Scot hasn’t brought in a defensive midfielder, either, and it compounds the torment that he’s failed to see the need to address that void in Andoni Iraola’s line-up despite it being his primary position during his playing career with Bournemouth and Portsmouth.
Unless there’s a drastic turnaround in the coming days and months, the 47-year-old’s reign as LFC sporting director won’t be recalled fondly in years to come.
Hughes has been a disaster from Day 1… brought in Slot to manage a squad that had a totally different style, ripped the heart out of it and brought in a mish mash of ‘names’, then dumped Slot and brought in a new manager that again doesn’t fit the squad!! On top of that there is no coherent plan and he has failed to fill the obvious gaps that a 4 year old can see need filling… Goodbye!!!
Spot on mate 👍🏻
What the bloody hell? Richard Hughes is under contract at Liverpool so how can he be working for Al Hilal? Using OUR money to work for another club? Shocking! He’s been sitting on his arse this entire transfer window when our squad has been threadbare, and now hes helping another club? The sooner he gets out of L4 the better. Complete and utter failure. Traitor!
If that isn’t a breach of contract, then FSG have questions to answer as well. Hughes time at LFC has all the hallmarks of a disaster. Could take us years to fully recover. Where exactly is Gordon in all this?
If you blame Richard Hughes then you must also blame FSG.
Liverpool football club had the opportunity to bring in a top manager who’s one of our own in Alonso.
Instead they let Chelsea have him so we could continue with a sporting director Richard Hughes.
what’s even worse is head coach iraola has been thrown under the bus. He hasn’t had the backing he needed to challenge for trophies.
While FSG have sold 33 percent of our club to make 1.6 billion.
On the pitch where it matters we are in decline with more billionaire owners who’ll want more profit.
Look at the players Chelsea are buying for their new manager Alonso.
And take a good look at the neglect in key positions with iraola, who has it all to do to survive the season.
We are sinking fast under charlatan owners FSG
Keep this in mind, while we struggle again this season, FSG and John w Henry are 1.6 billion richer.
Should NEVER been taken back. Klopp had it right. Now we have coaches and Hughes’ priorities are NOT LFC. Oxygen thief.