Bournemouth guru in Liverpool sights as FSG consider eight Richard Hughes replacements | OneFootball

Liverpool reportedly began drawing up plans to replace Richard Hughes before the sporting director had even left the club, with FSG already having multiple potential candidates on their radar.

Hughes’ eventual move to Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Hilal was not something Liverpool ended up being caught off guard by, with FSG aware for some time that he intended to leave.

Hughes, who spent just over two years as Liverpool sporting director after joining from Bournemouth in 2024, remained in position throughout the summer transfer window before stepping down.

That allowed the Anfield outfit to complete their planned recruitment business, while FSG continued its work on the next stage of the club’s football structure.

And now our friends over at TEAMtalk have revealed how FSG ensured there was enough strength within the existing football operation to avoid the need for a rushed appointment, in the event that Hughes did move on.

The TT report states that FSG president Mike Gordon is ‘overseeing the process’ and has been ‘considering both candidates already within the Liverpool structure and a number of external options’.

The current thinking is that an ‘internal appointment is the most likely outcome’, although it’s understood FSG have ‘looked closely at several sporting directors and senior football executives from across Europe and the Premier League’.

Liverpool have a number of established figures within their own structure who could step into the role.

Julian Ward is an obvious candidate, having previously served as Liverpool’s sporting director before moving into his current position as FSG technical director.

David Woodfine, currently working as assistant sporting director is also being considered. He was closely involved alongside Hughes, giving him detailed knowledge of how the football department has operated during Hughes’ time at Anfield.

Pedro Marques is another internal name to have been discussed, with the FSG director of football development already playing an important role within the wider football structure.

Matt Newberry, Liverpool’s global head of talent management, is another internal figure who has featured in the succession planning.

Liverpool chiefs have eyes on two overseas options

The depth of Liverpool’s existing football operation is one of the reasons FSG are under no pressure to make an immediate appointment.

However, the report adds that FSG have still spent considerable time examining the external market.

Bayern Munich’s Christoph Freund, for instance, is one of the continental sporting directors whose name has been discussed. He is held in huge regard across Europe, having been Bayern’s sporting director since moving from RB Salzburg in 2023.

However, he won’t be leaving Bayern anytime soon, having extended his contract until June 2029 in recent weeks.

Another overseas name to have impressed Liverpool’s decision-makers is Carlalberto Ludi.

Ludi has been central to Como’s remarkable rise, having joined the Italian club in 2019 when they were in Serie D before helping oversee their progression through the divisions and into Serie A and Champions League football.

His role has extended beyond recruitment, with Ludi heavily involved in the development of Como’s wider football structure, player strategy and long-term planning.

TEAMtalk adds that Liverpool have been ‘impressed by the work Ludi has done’ and ‘his name has been assessed as part of FSG’s wider search for sporting director options’.

Bournemouth, Brentford transfer gurus also in the mix

The search has not been restricted to overseas candidates either, with FSG also assessing senior figures operating in the Premier League.

Brentford technical director Lee Dykes is among those whose work has been looked at during the process.

Dykes has played an important role in Brentford’s recruitment and technical operations and has established a strong reputation for his work within the club’s football structure.

Bournemouth president of football Tiago Pinto is another name to have been discussed.

Pinto brings considerable experience of football operations and recruitment and has held senior positions in European football before taking up his current role at Bournemouth.

Crucially, Pinto also knows Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola well from their time working together at Bournemouth, giving him an existing relationship with the manager and an understanding of the environment around the first team.

His outstanding work at Bournemouth has also brought him onto FSG’s radar as Liverpool consider a number of different profiles for Hughes’ successor.

However, despite the breadth of the search, it’s understood the internal route remains the most likely outcome to replace Hughes at this stage.