Liverpool are preparing a high-profile search for a new sporting director following the departure of Richard Hughes earlier this month. Football finance expert Stefan Borson says the club will target top-tier talent and has the financial strength and global appeal to attract the best candidates.
Hughes joined in summer 2024 alongside head coach Arne Slot. Slot’s first season produced a Premier League title far quicker than Jürgen Klopp’s five-year wait. The following campaign proved more difficult. Hughes oversaw a record summer 2025 transfer window in which Fenway Sports Group approved more than £400 million in spending, but results did not match the investment. Speculation later linked him with a move to Saudi club Al-Hilal before Liverpool confirmed his exit.
Mike Gordon is leading the search for a successor. Borson, a former financial adviser at Manchester City, told Football Insider that Liverpool are well placed:
“There’s been so much change. One thing’s for sure, they’re going to try and find the best people in the world. It’s just that obvious. Two, they’ll be able to recruit those people because it’s Liverpool. And three, they’ve got loads of money.
“There’s not going to be many problems. When you’ve got those three things in place, you’re not going to have many problems. Now, you might make a bad hire, it might take time – in fact, it probably will – but you’re not going to have too many problems long term.
“You’ve got all of those things going for you; you’ve just got to make sure that the people doing the picking don’t do what, say, Manchester United did for five years, ten years. They seem to consistently pick the wrong people. You shouldn’t fail in the scenario that we’ve just spoken about where you’ve got brand, people that want to work for you, unlimited budget, and the ability to recruit from anywhere in the world.”
Liverpool’s ownership, brand and resources give them a clear advantage in the executive market. The key challenge will be avoiding the recruitment mistakes that have hampered other big clubs.
Celtic tracking Luke Chambers
While attention focuses on the sporting director role, Celtic are monitoring young left-back Luke Chambers, according to journalist Pete O’Rourke.
Liverpool kept Chambers at the club last summer despite interest from several Championship sides. Many expected a loan move for regular first-team football; instead he remained in the first-team setup.
O’Rourke told Football Insider’s podcast: “Chambers, surprisingly, was kept at Liverpool in the summer. A lot of people expected him to probably go out on loan, with a number of English Championship clubs interested, but Liverpool decided to keep him around. I’m sure Celtic are keeping tabs on Chambers’ situation to see if he does become available in January, possibly.”
A January switch to Celtic would give Chambers regular senior minutes in a competitive environment and offer Liverpool greater squad flexibility.
The appointment of Hughes’ successor is one of the most important decisions of the post-Klopp era. With strong finances and the pull of a major club, Liverpool are expected to aim high.
