Liverpool are once again looking for a new sporting director following the confirmation of Richard Hughes’ move to Al-Hilal.
The club have now been forced to search for their fifth sporting director since 2022, highlighting the amount of change that has taken place within Liverpool’s football structure in recent years.
Hughes arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2024 and was involved in the appointments of Arne Slot and subsequently Andoni Iraola.
Earlier this year, Hughes informed Liverpool that he wanted to take on a new challenge in Saudi Arabia, eventually making the move to Al-Hilal.
Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon is overseeing the search for his replacement. Liverpool are keen to make an appointment quickly, but finding someone who can provide long-term stability is considered equally important.
The club are expected to examine candidates from within their existing structure, although an external appointment has not been ruled out.
Whoever gets the position will inherit a significant list of responsibilities, from contract decisions involving senior players to future recruitment and the development of the squad.
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Who Are the Leading Candidates?
One of the potential internal candidates is David Woodfine, who worked alongside Hughes as his assistant.
Woodfine previously served as Liverpool’s director of loans and remains familiar with the club’s football operations. When Iraola arrived in June, Woodfine was pictured showing the new manager around the facilities at the AXA Training Centre.
Another possibility is Julian Ward, who already has experience as Liverpool’s sporting director.
Ward held the position between 2022 and 2023 and was involved in the recruitment of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez.
He is now FSG’s technical director, giving him an existing understanding of the group’s footballing structure and decision-making processes.
Pedro Marques could also be considered.
Marques currently works as FSG’s director of football development. Before taking that position, he was technical director at Benfica, where he helped facilitate the signing of Enzo Fernandez for £10m.
Earlier in his career, Marques worked as a first-team performance analyst at Manchester City.
There is also an impressive potential candidate outside the Liverpool structure in Luis Campos, who currently works at Paris St-Germain.
Campos would arguably represent one of the strongest possible appointments, but he is not expected to consider leaving the European champions in the immediate future.
The eventual replacement will also have to account for changes within Liverpool’s recruitment department.
Hughes has taken recruitment staff members Mark Burchill and Craig McKee with him to the Middle East, leaving the new sporting director with work to do in maintaining and reshaping the recruitment operation.
Liverpool Face Big Decisions Over Alisson
One of the most important early decisions for Hughes’ successor could involve Alisson.
The Brazil goalkeeper’s contract expires at the end of the season. Juventus showed interest during the summer, but Liverpool had no plans to allow their first-choice goalkeeper to leave.
Iraola has demonstrated his trust in the 33-year-old by naming him one of his vice-captains.
Alisson has started all three of Liverpool’s league matches so far and remains the club’s leading goalkeeper, even though he is no longer at the absolute peak of his career.
Liverpool do have alternatives available.
Giorgi Mamardashvili is part of the goalkeeping options, although he has not completely convinced so far.
Meanwhile, 18-year-old Lucca Brughmans is expected to join Liverpool from Genk next summer in a deal that could eventually reach £30m. However, he is unlikely to be considered an immediate first-choice option.
That leaves the next sporting director with a major decision over Alisson’s future.
The goalkeeper has been one of Liverpool’s most important players during a hugely successful period for the club, helping them win two Premier League titles and a Champions League.
Replacing such an experienced player would be a significant task, particularly if Liverpool decide they can no longer keep him beyond the current season.
Van Dijk’s Future Is Another Priority
Liverpool face another major contract decision with captain Virgil van Dijk.
The Netherlands defender is also out of contract next summer, creating the possibility that Liverpool could lose two of their most experienced players during the same transfer window.
That would carry considerable risk.
Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson already departed at the end of last season, meaning Liverpool have lost important senior figures from the dressing room.
Van Dijk’s continued presence therefore has value beyond his performances on the pitch.
After taking an extended break following the World Cup, the 35-year-old has played every minute of Liverpool’s league campaign so far.
Although Van Dijk is no longer quite the dominant force he was during his peak years, he remains one of Europe’s leading centre-backs.
Liverpool also have several promising young defenders who could benefit from his experience.
Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye are all viewed as players with considerable potential.
The incoming sporting director may therefore regard Van Dijk as an important figure who can help guide those younger defenders as they develop.
Keeping him for another period could provide both quality and valuable leadership during a time of considerable change.
Midfield Could Become a Problem
Liverpool did not strengthen their midfield during the summer, despite Curtis Jones leaving for Inter Milan.
Iraola believes the club still have “good numbers” in the position, and greater responsibility is expected to fall on Trey Nyoni this season.
The 19-year-old impressed during Liverpool’s pre-season tour of the United States and is expected to receive more opportunities.
However, the demands on Liverpool’s midfielders will increase significantly as the schedule becomes busier.
Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister are likely to carry much of the responsibility.
An injury to any one of those players could expose the lack of additional depth.
Liverpool have already shown some interest in Lamine Camara of Monaco, although the club were not prepared to sign another midfielder during the summer window.
That could change when the transfer market reopens.
Midfield could become a priority in January or next summer, particularly if uncertainty continues around Mac Allister’s long-term future.
The Argentina international’s current contract runs until 2028, but there are currently no discussions taking place over a new agreement.
That situation will eventually have to be addressed by Hughes’ successor.
Liverpool Have Plenty of Options in Attack
The attacking department presents fewer immediate concerns.
During his time as sporting director, Hughes oversaw the recruitment of Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola.
Liverpool therefore have significant depth across their attacking positions.
There is also growing expectation that 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha will agree a long-term contract, adding another promising young option to the squad.
Cody Gakpo’s future could nevertheless become an interesting situation.
Liverpool decided against allowing the Netherlands international to join Manchester City during the summer.
Gakpo has already contributed one goal and three assists this season, underlining his importance to the squad.
However, if Liverpool sign another winger in the future and receive another substantial offer for Gakpo, the club could potentially reconsider his situation.
For the moment, though, Liverpool appear considerably better stocked in attack than they are in some other areas of the squad.
The New Sporting Director Must Work Closely With Iraola
Perhaps the most important part of the new sporting director’s job will be developing a strong relationship with Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool have experienced an unusually high level of change over the summer.
Club chief executive Billy Hogan previously described the organisation as being in a healthy position, with stable ownership leadership and optimism about the future.
However, the reality is that Liverpool have undergone significant changes.
The club have changed managers, welcomed new investors, lost several senior players and now seen Hughes leave earlier than expected.
There has also been a major change at FSG, with Michael Edwards, who originally appointed Hughes, stepping down from his position as FSG’s CEO of Football.
Hughes was understood to have been influenced by Edwards’ departure.
He was also closely involved in the decision to move away from Slot and appoint Iraola.
As a result, the new sporting director could have an important influence on how Liverpool’s relationship with their Spanish manager develops.
Iraola’s Future Will Be Part of the Equation
Iraola signed only a two-year contract when he arrived at Liverpool.
The manager explained that he did not want to remain at a club simply because he had a contract in place.
His previous relationship with Hughes from their time at Bournemouth was one factor that helped him secure the Liverpool position.
That connection has now disappeared, meaning someone else must establish a successful working relationship with the manager.
The sporting director and head coach will need to share a clear vision regarding recruitment, squad development and the club’s long-term ambitions.
That relationship could become particularly important if Liverpool face difficult decisions over senior players such as Alisson and Van Dijk.
A Major Appointment for Liverpool
Liverpool’s search for a new sporting director comes at a crucial stage in the club’s development.
The new appointment will inherit a squad containing established stars, experienced leaders and a number of highly rated young players.
There are also important contract decisions to make, potential midfield recruitment to consider and a changing recruitment department to manage.
David Woodfine, Julian Ward and Pedro Marques are among the internal names who could potentially step into the role, while Luis Campos represents a high-profile external possibility.
The key requirement for Liverpool will be finding someone capable of providing continuity while also working effectively with Iraola and the wider FSG structure.
With Hughes departing alongside members of the recruitment team, the next sporting director will have to establish their authority quickly.
The decisions made over the coming months could shape Liverpool’s squad and football strategy for several seasons.
For a club determined to challenge for major honours again, choosing the right person to replace Richard Hughes could prove one of the most important decisions of the new era.
