Credit: Imago

Ciaran Morrison

Sun 29 March 2026 15:03, UK

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Richard Hughes may not be willing to leave Liverpool for Saudi Arabia due to the current conflict and political tensions in the Middle East.

That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who thinks Saudi football could begin to struggle to recruit players and staff.

Hughes is on the shortlist to become Al-Ahli’s sporting director, who have former Premier League players Ivan Toney and Riyad Mahrez in their ranks.

The 46-year-old has been behind Liverpool’s transfer strategy since joining the Merseyside club from Bournemouth in 2024.

Hughes has been under scrutiny for his role due to Liverpool’s summer transfer business last year, where the Reds spent nearly £450million after winning the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season in charge.

Saudi ‘may find it hard to recruit’ Richard Hughes

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 Hughes may be unable to sell the idea of moving to Saudi right now to his family.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks that the current situation in the Middle East would have to be resolved before Hughes could move to the area.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “I’ve seen these trends before, as I say, in Saudi of, okay, now these are the areas we’ve got to go for. It’s got to be these type of people that we’re looking for.

“And if we’re going to get that level of person, let’s get the best we can. And so that’s something that I think is partly there to be looked at as well. Again, I’ll come back to the issue. Would Richard Hughes be able to sell it to his wife right now? 

“Let’s go to Riyadh right now or Jeddah or anywhere else in Saudi right now given current situations. Until that’s resolved, I think the Saudi Premier League may find it hard to recruit a lot of people.

“I mean, we go back to Steven Gerrard when he was at Al-Etifaq. He lived in Bahrain, I think, and commuted every day. Now, Bahrain’s been under serious attack and I think the bridge has also been bombed by drones, etc. So you’ve got to look at those domestic realities.”

Saudi rival revealed for Mohamed Salah

Saudi clubs now face competition from the MLS for Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah, sources have told Football Insider.

Salah has confirmed he will leave Anfield at the end of the season, and the 33-year-old has long been linked with a move to Saudi.

The MLS though are prepared to try and tempt Salah to America, although Saudi remains his favoured destination and wages could prove to be an obstacle.