Richard Hughes in Liverpool endgame as transfer and contract failures exposed | OneFootball

Liverpool were hit on Friday by the stunning news that Michael Edwards is leaving his post at Fenway Sports Group.

The former Liverpool sporting director returned to work under the FSG umbrella as CEO of Football when Jurgen Klopp departed in 2024.

Hired in order to oversee the implementation of a multi-club ownership model Edwards nonetheless leaves the organisation with those plans unfulfilled.

It leaves a leadership vacuum at the top of FSG’s Liverpool plans - with sporting director Richard Hughes not expected to see out his contract until 2027 either.

Richard Hughes will be next to leave

Indeed there are now signs of dissatisfaction with Hughes’ work inside the corridors of power - according to a new report in the Athletic.

While Hughes was widely credited at the time for last summer’s transfer window spending - overseeing £450m worth of new signings including two British transfer records - Liverpool got worse not better.

The Premier League champions slumped from first to fifth - suffering elimination in humiliating circumstances in both cup competitions to boot.

The Scotsman was unable to get contract renewals over the line for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Ibrahima Konate - while this summer’s window is already in danger of being a washout.

Victor Munoz and Jeremy Jacquet have been onboarded but this is a Liverpool squad still lacking in several areas.

"Hugely unsatisfactory" Richard Hughes claims made

That has created a “hugely unsatisfactory” situation over Hughes’ leadership as sporting director and Liverpool have got plans to move on from Hughes sooner rather than later.

“Regarding squad strengthening, all preparatory work has been undertaken and the responsibility for executing the strategy would fall on Hughes rather than Edwards,” the report reads.

“The Spain winger Victor Muñoz has been Liverpool’s only signing to date, although Jérémy Jacquet was recruited in January with a view to joining in July, and there is a need to recruit further attacking reinforcements at the very least.

“Beyond signings, contract talks with Dominik Szoboszlai have been taking place while Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Curtis Jones and Joe Gomez are among those players heading into the final year of their deals.

“The situation with Hughes, therefore, feels hugely unsatisfactory with thoughts already turning to who succeeds him.

"David Woodfine is assistant sporting director and close to Edwards. Woodfine left his role as director of loan management at Liverpool in 2023, but returned a year later when Edwards was back at the club.”

Hughes will join Al-Hilal

Hughes joined back in 2024 after a successful stint as Bournemouth technical director. But his reputation has taken a battering over the last few transfer windows - leading to speculation that he will be relieved of his duties.

Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League - now led by his former Bournemouth colleague Simon Francis - are expected to offer Hughes an escape route before his contract expires in 2027.

For now Hughes remains in place and is in charge of executing those plans formulated by Edwards before he left the club.