Andoni Iraola suffers early Liverpool blow as key ally in 'advanced talks' over exit

Liverpool are reportedly 'close' to losing sporting director Richard Hughes, who has entered advanced talks to join Al-Ahli.

The former Portsmouth midfielder joined the Reds in 2024 following a successful stint at Bournemouth, having served as the Cherries' sporting director for 10 years between 2014 and 2024.

With Hughes in office, Bournemouth became an established Premier League outfit and hired now-Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola, who led the Cherries to their best-ever top-flight placement in the 2025-26 season.

Hughes and Arne Slot then collaborated to win Liverpool's second Premier League title in 2024-25, before the former helped to broker the signings of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike last summer.

However, Liverpool's £446m spending spree did not yield immediate results, as the Reds' could only muster a fifth-placed finish in the Premier League before sacking Slot and hiring Iraola.

Richard Hughes 'close' to leaving Liverpool for Saudi Arabia

The Spaniard's relationship with Hughes from their time at the Vitality Stadium sparked hope of another successful partnership at Anfield, but according to Sacha Tavolieri, the director is now close to leaving.

Hughes has been linked with a move to Al-Hilal for some time, and Tavolieri reports that negotiations for the 46-year-old to become the Saudi Pro League team's new sporting director have moved forward.

Hughes would reportedly continue as Liverpool's sporting director for the remainder of the summer window, before making the switch to the Middle East later in the year.

The one-time Arsenal academy graduate would reunite with Darwin Nunez at Al-Hilal, as well as working with the likes of Ruben Neves, Theo Hernandez, Karim Benzema and Kalidou Koulibaly.

Andoni Iraola suffers early Liverpool blow with Richard Hughes exit

While working in tandem at Bournemouth, Hughes and Iraola collaborated to sign the likes of Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Alex Scott and more, helping to transform the Cherries into a European-chasing unit.

The pair will have at least one transfer window together at Anfield, but if Hughes has indeed been seduced by Saudi riches, his departure represents an early setback for Iraola.

Even though Wirtz initially struggled to adapt, Isak experienced a disappointing first campaign and Jeremie Frimpong also failed to come good consistently, Hughes's ability to get such significant deals over the line is not to be underestimated.

It is not clear if Liverpool have any names in mind to replace Hughes, but David Woodfine is currently serving as the Scotsman's assistant sporting director and could be promoted to the role if his superior departs.