Ciaran Morrison

Fri 27 March 2026 7:00, UK

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Liverpool’s Richard Hughes is one of the best sporting directors that Al-Hilal could be targeting to join the club.

That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes Hughes is “respected” in the game for the work he has done at Liverpool and Bournemouth.

Hughes has been linked with a move to Saudi club Al-Hilal, with his position at Anfield having come under scrutiny amid Liverpool’s struggles on the pitch.

Liverpool spent nearly £450million on transfers last summer, and the club have been unable to defend their Premier League title.

It is set to be another active summer transfer window at Liverpool this year, which Hughes would oversee if he was to remain at the club.

Richard Hughes ‘one of the best’ sporting directors in football

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes Saudi football has been continuously progressing.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks Saudi clubs are starting to realise the importance of hiring sporting directors.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “Well, I’ve been monitoring Saudi football. I started going down there probably about 2012, so a long time ago, before the new regime was in place. 

“And I remember when Saudi football, in 2017 when PIF came in and started buying the domestic clubs and creating the Saudi Premier League, there was a mad rush. ‘We’ve got to have Brazilians in charge, we’ve got to have Brazilian managers, we’ve got to get Brazilian players,’ because the Saudi concept was that Brazil was the best football place in the world.

“They didn’t really understand football. They just followed the trend. But they spent money, and they tried a lot of experiments. Gradually, their football intelligence and knowledge has progressed, and now they’re getting to understand the role of the strategic sports director like a Richard Hughes and the importance, and so they’ve gone for probably one of the best there is.

“Although you would argue that Liverpool’s performance this season has not been the best, there could be other reasons for that, but certainly he’s well respected within the game.”

Mohamed Salah lets Arne Slot down after confirming Liverpool departure

Liverpool have confirmed the departure of Mohamed Salah at the end of the season following a successful nine-year spell at the club.

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider though that Salah and Ibrahima Konate have let Liverpool down this season.

Salah has failed to replicate his fine form from last season, and the 33-year-old is therefore partly responsible for manager Arne Slot being under threat of the sack.