Richard Hughes joins Al-Hilal as sporting director after Liverpool exit

Just days after leaving Liverpool, Richard Hughes already has a new desk: sporting director at Al-Hilal. The speed of the move is striking, especially given that until recently Hughes was one of the key figures at Anfield.

The Saudi club confirmed that its board has "finalized the contract" with Hughes, who took up the role after arriving in Riyadh on Sunday. According to the club, the Briton's arrival is meant to "help raise the quality of technical work, develop recruitment and scouting processes, and strengthen integration across all areas of the football department."

To understand the weight of this move, it helps to look back at what he's leaving behind. Hughes joined Liverpool in 2024 from Bournemouth, and one of his first major decisions was backing the hiring of Arne Slot as successor to Jurgen Klopp, who stepped away from the touchline after years of success. The bet paid off immediately: Liverpool were crowned Premier League champions the following season. But the shine wore off quickly. The most recent campaign was disappointing despite an outlay of nearly $500 million on new signings, and that relative failure ultimately cost Slot his job, with Andoni Iraola brought in to replace him.

Hughes' departure from Liverpool was announced on Saturday, with the English club explaining that he himself wanted to "seek a new challenge." His exit came less than two months after Michael Edwards stepped down as CEO of football for Fenway Sports Group, the club's owner. Two major departures in a short span from Anfield's football operations, something that hasn't gone unnoticed by anyone following the club closely.

A signing that fits Saudi ambition

Al-Hilal is no ordinary club in Saudi football: it's the country's most decorated team, with 21 league titles and four Asian championships to its name. Hughes' arrival adds to a summer of eye-catching signings, including Brazilian forward Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal and England's Ollie Watkins, who left Aston Villa.

Behind this project lies an important structural shift as well. In April, Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund sold a 70% stake in Al-Hilal to Kingdom Holding Company, the firm run by Prince Alwaleed Bin Talal, the billionaire businessman and member of the Saudi royal family. With that financial backing, and now a sporting director who knows the inner workings of a top European club firsthand, Al-Hilal is making clear its ambitions extend well beyond the local league.