‘Clear favourite’ – What two trusted sources are now saying on Richard Hughes to Al-Hilal rumours | OneFootball

Two trusted sources have shared their information on recent reports surrounding Richard Hughes and Al-Hilal.

There were rumours from Saudi Arabia earlier this week that the Riyadh-based club have reached an ‘agreement’ with the Liverpool sporting director to take on a similar role in the Middle East, and while that news line hasn’t been corroborated elsewhere, The Athletic did state that the 46-year-old has been identified by Al-Hilal as a prospective candidate for the position.

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What’s the latest on Al-Hilal’s interest in Hughes?

In an update on his eponymous YouTube channel late on Wednesday night, Fabrizio Romano claimed: “According to reports in Saudi Arabia, and I can confirm that it’s true, that Liverpool director Richard Hughes is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia, especially from Al-Hilal.

“Richard Hughes is now the clear favourite to become the future director at Al-Hilal. The point is the timing and when this is going to happen, because Richard Hughes remains absolutely and totally committed to Liverpool project and he’s very happy at the club.

“He remains completely focused on the Liverpool project, but the interest from Saudi is true.”

Lewis Steele reported something similiar in his weekly Liverpool Confidential for Mail Sport, writing: ‘Confidential has been told the Saudis are confident they can tempt Hughes to join. Simone Inzaghi is their manager and Hughes is fluent in Italian.

‘Many in Saudi believe he will soon be their man, though others back in Britain dispute this and say he is fully focused on Liverpool.’

How has Hughes done in his time so far at Liverpool?

Hughes’ contract at Anfield runs to June 2027, although Al-Hilal reportedly want him to link up with them this summer and would be ‘well placed to offer him a lucrative financial package’ (The Athletic).

The 46-year-old has received criticism from some sections of the Liverpool fan base over the failure to land Marc Guehi and Antoine Semenyo, both of whom instead joined Manchester City in recent months, although the Scot has accrued some major wins during his time as the Reds’ sporting director.

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He brokered two-year contract extensions for Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk and a new long-term deal for Ryan Gravenberch, along with overseeing a £446m summer spend which included the headline arrivals of Florian Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak.

It would appear from the updates from Romano and Steele that Hughes feels he has unfinished business at Anfield and isn’t in any rush to abandon the project on Merseyside for Al-Hilal, despite the apparent confidence from Saudi Arabia that he’ll make the move to the Middle East.

With the sporting director role at Liverpool changing hands three times in the last four years, it’d be far from ideal for another such appointment having to be made any time soon, although the updates from two reliable sources would indicate that his work in L4 is certainly not done.