Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has reportedly agreed to join Saudi Pro League side Al Hilal, ending a two-year spell with the Reds.
Though confirmation is yet to arrive, rumours have emerged that Hughes will leave Liverpool ahead of the summer transfer window.
Reds fans are unlikely to be shedding too many tears at the prospect of the Scot leaving, but Michael Edwards must move quickly to fill the position. With that in mind, who are the outstanding candidates to be Liverpool‘s new sporting director?
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Markus Krosche – Eintracht Frankfurt
Hiring a sporting director can be an incredibly tricky business. A good track record at one club does not necessarily translate to success at another.
Having said that, the job Markus Krosche has done while in charge at Eintracht Frankfurt makes him look like an attractive option for any club on the planet.
As Liverpool found out when signing Hugo Ekitike from the Germans last summer, Krosche drives a hard bargain for his top players. Once he’s banked the money, he often reinvests it into an even more exciting prospect. That’s exactly what Eintracht have done after losing Omar Marmoush and Ekitike in 2025.
Krosche knew both players were leaving, and so brought in then 18-year-old Can Uzun in 2024. Although he has been injured recently, Uzun scored eight goals and laid on four assists in 21 appearances after stepping up this season.
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This is just one example of the clever work done by Krosche, and although he would need to scale that up at Liverpool, he is clearly extremely adept in his work. He’d have to be one of the top candidates if Hughes were to go.
Kristjaan Speakman – Unattached
Just as they did when they brought Hughes in, Liverpool may look to the Premier League to hire their new man.
Although he left Sunderland in February, Kristjaan Speakman would arguably be the standout candidate in that respect, having worked wonders with the Black Cats’ recruitment over the past five years.
Joining in December 2020, Speakman helped Sunderland go from League One to the top half of the Premier League, making some excellent decisions along the way.
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As shown last summer when a raft of new signings were brought to the Stadium of Light and immediately settled in, Speakman knows how to spot players to fit an existing system. Currently out of work, he could be an attractive option for the Reds.
Julian Ward – Liverpool
As Edwards has consistently shown during his time with Liverpool, he likes to work with people who he knows well.
That was seen in his hiring of Hughes, and he has surrounded himself with a familiar team during his second stint with the Reds.
Should Hughes depart, that could mean Julian Ward steps up for a second time to fill the sporting director position. Ward replaced Edwards in 2022, but lasted only one year in the role.
Now back as technical director at Anfield after leaving in 2023, the 44-year-old has experience of the job, and was seemingly well-regarded before deciding to leave.
There are, of course, plenty of other candidates who would be considered should Hughes take his leave. But these are three for Liverpool fans to keep an eye on ahead of what promises to be another fascinating summer.
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