A new name has emerged in Liverpool’s search for a sporting director and comes with approval from top candidate Michael Edwards.
Edwards, who masterminded Liverpool’s transformation en route to Premier League and Champions League glory under Jürgen Klopp, departed his role in 2022. He’s now Liverpool’s top choice to return after Jörg Schmadtke left at the end of the January transfer window, reports the Telegraph.
But with Edwards reluctant to return, Liverpool is still looking at other options. The latest to be linked with the role is AFC Bournemouth’s Richard Hughes.
According to the Daily Mail, both Liverpool and Italian giants Roma are interested in Hughes. Hughes, 44, had a lengthy playing career with AFC Bournemouth and Portsmouth and was handed a job in the recruitment team at Dean Court by Eddie Howe when he retired back in 2014.
He’s since worked his way up to becoming technical director during his decade at the club, but there’s a growing resignation he will leave the Premier League club. It’s reported he would prefer to pursue a move abroad but Liverpool still holds an interest.
It’s claimed that Hughes has a close relationship with Edwards, Liverpool’s top contender, who is known to highly rate his Bournemouth counterpart when it comes to his transfer dealings. That approval from Edwards could have a big sway if he turns down the job himself given how highly respected he remains among the Liverpool hierarchy.
Roma are looking to replace Tiago Pinto after he left last month. Hughes speaks fluent Italian after spending some of his youth in the country.
Roma’s former sporting director, Frederic Massara, now at AC Milan, has also been linked with Liverpool. He was involved in deals to sign Liverpool’s Mohamad Salah and Alisson Becker during his time with the club.
Nice chief Florent Ghisolfi is also in contention, according to The Athletic, while the Daily Mail has reported West Ham chief Tim Steidten is a potential contender.
