Michael Edwards is back to Liverpool, having accepted a senior role at FSG. His first move has been the appointment of Richard Hughes as sporting director.
The 44-year-old will remain at Bournemouth until the end of the season and will join the Reds in the summer. Here is everything you need to know about Liverpool's next sporting director.
Playing career
Hughes is a former player. Born in Scotland, he trained with Atalanta and Arsenal before joining Bournemouth in 1998, who at the time were in the Second Division (now League One).
Impressing with the Cherries, the defensive midfielder moved to Portsmouth, where he made over 100 Premier League appearances between 2003 and 2010. He retired at Bournemouth in 2014 aged 34.
One particular highlight of his time in the Premier League was getting headbutted by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007. "I must have met people who don't remember me playing, I can always say one of the best ever (Ronaldo) headbutted me," Hughes said later.
Hughes earned five Scotland caps during his playing career. He won the FA Cup with Portsmouth in 2008.
Work at Bournemouth
After retirement, Hughes stayed with the Cherries, joining the recruitment department. He was then appointed technical director, overseeing transfer policy and the appointment of Andoni Iraola last summer. Curiously, Iraola shares an agent with Xabi Alonso.
Here is how Hughes outlines his approach to the technical director job: “I’m hopefully loading his [then-head coach Eddie Howe's] gun to fire as many good bullets as possible, that’s what I see my main job as. Then I act as the liaison when he makes his mind up.
“I’ve learned that it’s a job that never really sleeps, when one window shuts you’re preparing for the next one.
“Finding information out about a player beyond what you can see in the 90 minutes is more important [than his skills].
“It’s not a science, because in very few cases can you answer exactly what a player is going to be like under a manager at a club at a given time, as well as all the circumstances that affect the happiness, mood and performances of a player.”
Best deals
Hughes' work has played an important role in Bournemouth establishing themselves as a Premier League club. The Cherries operate on a relatively small budget and play at a tiny stadium with a capacity of only 11,307 fans. Yet they've even managed to finish ninth in the 2016/17 season and are in the respectable 13th position this term.
Here are Hughes' best transfer dealings during his tenure at the Vitality Stadium...
Tyrone Mings. Bournemouth signed the defender for £8m in 2015. Though the Englishman barely played for the Cherries due to injuries, he was sold to Aston Villa for £20m four years later, bringing in a £12m profit.
Nathan Ake. The Dutchman made a name for himself at Bournemouth. He first arrived on loan from Chelsea in the 2016/17 season, impressing enough to get himself bought for £20m. In 2020, Bournemouth recouped the whole sum by selling Ake to Man City for £41m.
Aaron Ramdsale. The England goalie joined the Cherries for £800,000 from Sheffield United in 2017. Three and a half years later, Hughes sold Ramsdale back to the Blades for £18.5m. That's getting 22.5 times more money than what Bournemouth paid for him.
Lys Mousset. The French striker scored just five goals for Bournemouth in 71 appearances — yet Hughes managed to sell him to Sheffield for £10m.
Ryan Christie. The Scotland international is one of the best players at Bournemouth right now. Given his form this season, it's difficult to believe that the Cherries paid just £1.5m for the midfielder back in 2019 — but it's true. A deal which proved to be a bargain.
Dominik Solanke. This is a player Liverpool fans know really well. The striker joined the Reds on a free transfer from Chelsea in 2017 but failed to establish himself at Anfield, scoring just one goal.
Bournemouth believed in him. They splashed £19m to sign the Englishman and he's repaid Hughes' faith with 73 goals in 206 Cherries appearances so far.
