Richard Hughes, the former head of transfers at Bournemouth, has been appointed sporting director of Liverpool. He will now lead the team’s quest for the next Jurgen Klopp.
The advent of Michael Edwards as CEO of Football for owners Fenway Sports Group greatly influenced the Reds’ choice to pursue Hughes as a temporary replacement for Jorg Schmadtke, as Mail Sport reported in late January.
Since they first collaborated at Portsmouth, Hughes and Edwards have maintained a close working relationship. The two also interacted while the former was at Bournemouth.
As the German leaves in May, Hughes’ first task will be to choose Klopp’s replacement. The favorite is Xabi Alonso, while Ruben Amorim of Sporting will also be taken into consideration.
Moreover, he intends to start contract negotiations with superstars Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk, and Mohamed Salah. The contracts for all three expire at the end of the upcoming season.
Although Hughes and Edwards don’t begin work until after the season, both are anticipated to have a significant impact going forward. For instance, on Sunday, Edwards was seated with several Liverpool executives at Old Trafford.
