Liverpool look all set to appoint Richard Hughes as their new sporting director this summer.
There was huge news on Tuesday afternoon, as Michael Edwards’ reappointment with the Reds was confirmed. Now operating in a much larger role as CEO of Football within FSG, Edwards has joined with immediate effect.
By now, it has become common knowledge that Edwards will look to appoint his own sporting director to oversee matters at Anfield. And The Daily Mail reassert today that that man will be current Bournemouth technical director Richard Hughes.
With Hughes currently seeing out his notice period with the Cherries, the 44-year-old will then reportedly join Liverpool ahead of the summer transfer window.
Although he may have been unknown to Reds fans until recently, it’s claimed that Hughes actually comes with something of a stellar reputation within football.
The former midfielder is reportedly ‘said to know everyone in football.’ Multi-lingual having spent time in Italy as a child, Hughes and Edwards are apparently ‘good friends’ from mutual time spent at Portsmouth almost two decades ago.
Hughes brings reputation to Liverpool
By the sounds of things, Hughes has quietly been earning himself quite the reputation within the game. Having been in his position at Bournemouth since 2016, he brings a certain level of experience with him to Anfield.
That alone would perhaps not be enough to earn him the position at Liverpool. However, with Edwards pulling the strings above him, you can imagine they’ll make a top quality team.
Certainly, from FSG’s point of view, if Edwards trusts him, then they do, too. Indeed, there is now no distinction between the owners and they’re former sporting director. He now has a seat at the table.
It is quite a remarkable rise from Edwards, who has shown that with hard and meticulous work, any door can be open.
Hughes will now be hoping to have a similar level of success to that of the man who sat in his new office with such distinction.
For now, there is still nothing official on the former Scotland international joining Liverpool. However, it would now be an enormous surprise if it were anyone other than Hughes.
His pending appointment could already have one positive consequence for the Reds. Having dealt with the appointment of Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth last summer, Hughes has already worked closely with Inaki Ibanez, the agent of managerial target Xabi Alonso.
As a former player with over 100 Premier League appearances to his name, Hughes will have come across plenty of now influential characters within his career. It’s time for him to really put those contacts to use.
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