Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has stepped down and is set to join Saudi side Al-Hilal.

Hughes had only been at the club since June 2024, after moving from a similar position at Bournemouth, and his exit had been expected with his contract set to expire in June 2027.

In the summer he oversaw a transfer spend of about £200m, including the signing of Bradley Barcola from Paris St-Germain.

“I’ll always follow and support the club with great affection, and I wish everyone involved nothing but success for this season and beyond,” said Hughes, in a statement released by Liverpool.

Hughes, 47, arrived at Anfield after the departure of long-time manager Jurgen Klopp and was instrumental in the appointment of his successor, Arne Slot, who led Liverpool to a 20th Premier League title in his first season as manager.

Hughes oversaw the £125m record signing of Alexander Isak last summer and the £116m arrival of Florian Wirtz.

But Slot was unable to match his initial success and Liverpool finished fifth last season, prompting the Dutch manager’s departure and his replacement by Andoni Iraola, who Hughes worked with at Bournemouth.

Mike Gordon, president of the Fenway Sports Group which owns Liverpool, said: “Richard joined us at the start of a period of change, embracing that responsibility by leading our football operations department and overseeing recruitment while also providing valuable support to our coaching staff.

“The results we achieved in these areas during this period are testament to this contribution. Nevertheless, we respect Richard’s life choices and wish him and his family well in their next venture.”

Hughes’ expected switch to Al-Hilal comes after a summer transfer window that has seen the Saudi Pro League side spend close to £180m on Premier League talent.

The 21-time Saudi champions signed Brazil winger Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal for £60m and England striker Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa in a £51m deal.

Al-Hilal, who are managed by former Inter Milan boss Simone Inzaghi, also secured the services of Netherlands midfielder Cyrenscio Summerville from West Ham for £60m, following their relegation to the Championship.

It has been almost public knowledge over the last year that Richard Hughes would be leaving Liverpool for Al-Hilal and the official announcement of his departure marks another moment of massive change at Anfield this summer.

Liverpool replaced Slot with Iraola at the end of last season before Michael Edwards, FSG’s then CEO of Football, resigned in July.

Last month, FSG confirmed they had sold a minority stake in the club to Amit Bhatia’s 1892 Holdings – a consortium that includes Jeff Bezos – and now the club are on the hunt for their fifth sporting director since 2022.

Edwards left the role of sporting director in 2022 and was replaced by Julian Ward, who is now FSG’s technical director. Ward was replaced in 2023 by Jorg Schmadtke before Hughes arrived in 2024.

After Jurgen Klopp stepped down, Hughes oversaw the appointment of Slot, which saw Liverpool win their second Premier League title. For that, he deserves credit – even if he was part of the decision to ultimately sack Slot.

But his legacy will perhaps only be fairly judged in the future, given he oversaw the appointment of Iraola and Liverpool‘s mega summer window in 2025 where Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak arrived for fees in excess of £100m and the club spent a then record £415m in total.

Hughes also did the groundwork for the £123m Bradley Barcola deal this summer and as he embarks on a new adventure in the Middle East, there is no doubt that he will have one eye on events back on Merseyside.