Richard Hughes has resigned as Liverpool’s sporting director to accept a position with Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal. Hughes, who joined Liverpool from Bournemouth, spent just over two years at Anfield and managed the club’s transitional period following the departure of former manager Jürgen Klopp.

The search for Liverpool’s next sporting director will now be led by Mike Gordon, president of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), Liverpool’s ownership group. Hughes’s departure marks the club’s fifth change in that role since 2022.

Al-Hilal appointed Simon Francis, a close associate of Hughes from their time at Bournemouth, as technical director in July, indicating a potential effort by the Saudi club to strengthen its sporting management structure through familiar personnel.