Liverpool have kicked off the hunt for a new sporting director following Richard Hughes' departure to Al-Hilal. This marks the club's quest for their fifth sporting director since 2022.
Hughes joined Liverpool in the summer of 2024 and played a pivotal role in the appointments of Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola. Earlier this year, he informed the club of his desire to embark on a new chapter in Saudi Arabia.
The search for Hughes' successor is being managed by Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon. Liverpool are keen to make a swift appointment, considering both internal candidates and outside specialists.
The key requirement is that the individual must be ready to commit to a long-term relationship with the club.
Who could take charge of the football operations?
One potential candidate is David Woodfine, who served as Hughes' assistant and previously held the role of loan director at Liverpool.
Another option is Julian Ward, who was responsible for the club's sporting operations in 2022-2023. Under his leadership, Liverpool brought in players like Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister, and Darwin Nunez. Ward is currently the technical director at FSG.
Pedro Marques, FSG's director of football development, is also in the running. He previously worked as Benfica’s technical director and was instrumental in bringing Enzo Fernandez to the Portuguese club for £10 million.
A more enticing option from outside is Luis Campos, currently with Paris Saint-Germain, although a departure from the reigning European champions seems unlikely any time soon.
Hughes took two members of Liverpool's recruitment team, Mark Birchill and Craig Mackie, with him to his new role in Saudi Arabia.
What’s the situation with Alisson and Virgil van Dijk?
One of the first significant tasks for the new sporting director will be to decide the future of Alisson.
The Brazilian goalkeeper's contract expires next summer, and Juventus showed interest this past transfer window, but Liverpool were not keen on letting him go.
Alisson has been appointed one of the vice-captains under Iraola and has started all three of Liverpool's opening league matches this season.
Nevertheless, the club already has a potential replacement in Ridge Mamaharshvili, though the 18-year-old Lukka Brugmans will join Liverpool from Genk next summer. That deal could cost the Merseysiders almost £30 million, but Brugmans is unlikely to come in as the starting goalkeeper immediately.
A similar situation looms for club captain Virgil van Dijk, whose contract also runs out next summer.
With the departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, Liverpool has already lost two experienced leaders. The simultaneous loss of Alisson and van Dijk next summer could pose a serious risk for the team.
Van Dijk remains one of the top central defenders in Europe, and younger players like Jeremy Djake, Giovanni Leoni, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, and Mor Tallah Ndiaye could learn a great deal from their captain.
Is there a need to bolster the midfield?
This summer, Liverpool opted against signing a new central midfielder following Curtis Jones' move to Inter.
The club is banking on further development from Trey Niony, who impressed during the pre-season tour in the USA.
However, with the number of matches increasing, the burden on Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Alexis Mac Allister will also grow. Losing any of them to injury could create serious challenges.
Liverpool considered acquiring Lamine Kamara from Monaco over the summer but weren't ready to sign a midfielder at that point.
That situation might change in January or next summer, especially if it becomes evident that a new contract for Mac Allister will not be signed. His current deal runs until 2028, but there have been no negotiations on an extension yet.
Attack presents far fewer concerns
In the attacking department, things appear to be far more settled.
Under Hughes, Liverpool signed Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike, Victor Munoz, and Bradley Barcola.
18-year-old Rio Ngumoh is also close to signing a long-term deal.
Moreover, Liverpool decided against allowing Cody Gakpo to leave for Manchester City this summer. The Dutch forward has already contributed one goal and three assists in the new campaign.
However, that position could change if Liverpool manage to find a new winger and receive another significant offer for Gakpo.
The new sporting director will need to build a rapport with Iraola
A primary task for the new sporting director will be establishing a working relationship with head coach Andoni Iraola.
It was Hughes who played a crucial role in bringing Iraola into the fold, having previously collaborated with him at Bournemouth. Now, the new sporting director must build their own working relationship with Iraola while making decisions regarding the coach's future.
Iraola recently signed a two-year contract with Liverpool, clarifying his commitment to the club beyond just his existing agreement.
Thus, the new sporting director will find themselves in a critical position. They will be responsible for defining the transfer strategy, addressing contract issues with key players, and collaborating with Iraola to get Liverpool back in contention for major trophies.
