Liverpool’s new sporting director Richard Hughes will have plenty of important decisions to make when he begins his new role. The first priority will undoubtedly be to find a successor to Jurgen Klopp’s throne, which he will already be in discussions about with Michael Edwards.
However, as the club’s sporting director, Hughes will also have an important role to play in a crucial summer transfer window. Liverpool have to deal with expiring contracts to stalwarts in the squad like Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold also have looming contracts with two years or less on their current deals and those contracts need to be resolved as well.
Then there is also a need to invest in the squad. Liverpool have a strong team at the moment with a lot of exciting young players. But there is always room to grow and improve what the Reds have at their disposal.
Hughes’ task will be to find the best talents in the market and to find those positions where Liverpool need to strengthen the most. In this this regard, his most urgent priority will probably be to reinforce the defensive department. Where the club are reportedly targeting a defender who has been likened to Roberto Carlos in the past.
Why Murillo could be Richard Hughes’ first Liverpool transfer
According to a report by the Daily Mail one defender who is on Liverpool’s radar this season is Nottingham Forest’s Murillo. The Brazilian defender has been in good form and has attracted the attention of a host of clubs.
Murillo has even impressed against Liverpool recently when the Reds struggled to break down a resilient Nottingham Forest defence a few weeks ago. The Brazilian was the star of Nottingham’s defence in that game, and showed just why he is so highly rated.
The reason why Murillo makes sense as Hughes’ first Liverpool transfer is because Liverpool are in the market for a left-sided centre-back. Murillo is exactly that. Liverpool are also looking for a defender who is comfortable on the ball. Murillo definitely ticks that box as well, in the past Jamie Redknapp has likened his ability on the ball to ‘prime Roberto Carlos’ [Sky Sports].
The Reds ideally also want their perfect candidate to be young. At 21-years-old, Murillo ticks that box as well. Meanwhile, the fact that Nottingham Forest are under financial fair play scrutiny may mean the club will have to sell their star assets, and that could in turn mean Liverpool being able to get Murillo for a decent price. Especially if Forest are relegated to the Championship.
For all those reasons, the Brazilian is without a question Hughes’ ideal first transfer. And it would not be a surprise if Liverpool did bring the defender to Anfield this summer.
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