Bournemouth transfer chief Richard Hughes is reportedly high on Liverpool’s shortlist to replace sporting director Jorg Schmadtke in a new-look structure at Anfield.
According to The Daily Mail, Liverpool are aiming to poach Bournemouth technical director Richard Hughes, with the Reds’ current transfer supremo Jorg Schmadtke set to leave the club at the end of the January transfer window after only arriving in January 2023.
The Reds were shocked on Friday when Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, bringing an end to a legendary managerial spell at the club. It was a piece of news that came out of the blue, even though the German had informed the upper hierarchy of his decision back in November, and supporters were taken aback.
It isn’t only the manager who will leave Anfield, however, with his coaching staff moving on as well, including highly-coveted assistant head coach Pep Lijnders. Jorg Schmadtke is also leaving as sporting director as early as next month, with the German always understood to be on a short-term contract.
The Daily Mail reports that Liverpool see Bournemouth technical director Richard Hughes as a potential option to replace Schmadtke as sporting director this summer, having impressed through his work with the Cherries.
The 44-year-old came through the Arsenal academy before going on to carve out his career at Bournemouth, Portsmouth, and Grimsby as a midfielder.
After hanging up his boots in 2014, he joined Eddie Howe’s recruitment team at Bournemouth before eventually moving into his technical director post. He has overseen some very astute signings such as Nathan Ake, Callum Wilson, Phillip Billing, Arnaut Danjuma, Dominic Solanke, and Lloyd Kelly throughout his time on the south coast and is highly respected in recruitment circles.
Furthermore, Hughes was instrumental in the hiring of manager Andoni Iraola as a replacement for Gary O’Neil last summer and oversaw the subsequent recruitment drive that saw them snap up a lot of young talent.
The Klopp news and replacement speculation are clearly going to dominate the headlines for some time. After all, the German manager has had an immense impact on the club, and he is a household name in the world of football. However, nailing Schmadtke’s replacement is also equally important for FSG to enable the Reds’ to continue competing for the top honours, and have a successful transition into post-Klopp era.
