Who will be new Liverpool sporting director – and what issues do they face?
Who will be new Liverpool sporting director – and what issues do they face?. The possible candidates to succeed Richard Hughes – plus the numerous tasks facing Liverpool's next sporting director.
What happened
ByAadam PatelFootball reporterPublished2 hours agoWith Richard Hughes' move to Al-Hilal now confirmed, Liverpool are seeking a new sporting director for the fifth time since 2022. Another is Julian Ward, who was Liverpool's sporting director between 2022 and 2023 and oversaw the signings of Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and Darwin Nunez. Alisson has been one of Liverpool's best players during a period in which they won two Premier League titles and a Champions League and the new sporting director will have to decide whether to try and keep him at Anfield next season.
"However this has been a summer where Liverpool have changed managers, welcomed new investors, lost a number of senior players and seen their sporting director leave a year earlier than expected. Related topicsFootballPremier LeagueLiverpoolMore on this storyHughes steps down as Liverpool sporting directorPublished2 days agoIsak finally arrives as Gakpo proves value to LiverpoolPublished2 days ago David Woodfine, who was Hughes' assistant and was previously Liverpool's director of loans is one potential candidate. Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye have huge potential and the new sporting director may view Van Dijk as the perfect player for them to learn from.
The wider picture
Hughes, who is understood to have been influenced by Edwards' departure, was integral in the decision to sack Slot and appoint Iraola and ultimately the new sporting director will have a big say in the Spaniard's future. Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Michael Edwards (centre) and Richard Hughes (centre-right) have both left Liverpool this summer. Hughes joined Liverpool in the summer of 2024 and oversaw the appointments of Arne Slot then Andoni Iraola. Mike Gordon, the president of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), is overseeing the process of finding Hughes' replacement, with Liverpool keen to make a swift appointment.
Liverpool will look at internal candidates, but have not ruled out the possibility of appointing someone from outside the club. Pedro Marques is FSG's director of football development and was previously the technical director at Benfica, where he helped sign Enzo Fernandez for £10m and before that, a first-team performance analyst at Manchester City. Whoever replaces Hughes – who has also taken two members of Liverpool's recruitment staff in Mark Burchill and Craig McKee to the Middle East – they will have plenty to address.
Do Liverpool try to keep Alisson and Van Dijk?
What has been reported
Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Van Dijk and Alisson both joined Liverpool in 2018Alisson's deal expires at the end of the season and although Juventus were interested in the Brazil goalkeeper this summer, Liverpool had no intention of letting him leave. Liverpool are not short of options, although Giorgi Mamardashvili has not fully convinced thus far while 18-year-old Lucca Brughmans will arrive next summer from Genk in a deal worth up to £30m but is unlikely to be viewed as an immediate first choice.
Having lost senior figures Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson at the end of last season, Liverpool need experience, so losing both Alisson and Van Dijk in the same close season would carry risk. After an extended break following the World Cup, the 35-year-old has played every minute of Liverpool's league campaign so far and although he may not be quite the force he once was, he is still comfortably one of Europe's best centre-backs. Iraola believes Liverpool have "good numbers" in midfield despite not strengthening that position over the summer following Curtis Jones' move to Inter Milan.
Faith has been placed in Trey Nyoni to feature more this season and the 19-year-old was one of the standouts of Liverpool's pre-season tour of the USA. As reported last week by BBC Sport, Liverpool have looked at Monaco's Lamine Camara but were not open to buying a midfielder this summer. With 18-year-old Rio Ngumoha expected to sign a long-term deal, Liverpool appear well-stocked in that department.
What happens next
Liverpool eventually decided not to allow Cody Gakpo to leave for Manchester City this summer. Building a relationship with IraolaWhen the question of stability was put to Billy Hogan, Liverpool's CEO, this summer, he told BBC Sport: "I would send a message that we are in a very healthy place as a football club – the leadership from the ownership is in a very steady place and we're looking forward to the next season and the season ahead.
When he joined Liverpool, Iraola said he only signed a two-year-deal because he didn't just want to be somewhere because he had a contract. His relationship with Hughes from their time at Bournemouth played a part in him getting the Liverpool job. Now it will be down to someone else to work in tandem with Iraola as Liverpool look to challenge again. Photograph: NintendoInterview‘Ruin and decay bring a chance of rebirth’: Hidetaka Miyazaki on uniting players in a damaged worldKirk McKeandAs FromSoftware’s new multiplayer game The Duskbloods nears release, the legendary game director behind Dark Souls talks connection, pessimism and of course, feetSince 2009’s Demon’s Souls, Japanese video game director Hidetaka Miyazaki has shown the world a different way to think about game design.
He has a cherubic face that could pass for 35.
The report has been compiled by The Daily Waves using information reported across bbc.co.uk, theguardian.com. Details are presented according to the information available at the time of publication and may change as authorities, organisers or other relevant parties provide updates.