Liverpool's sporting director, Richard Hughes, has officially stepped down from his role and is set to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal. Hughes, who joined the club in June 2024 after previously working as sporting director at Bournemouth, had been expected to leave as his contract was set to expire in June 2027. During his time at Anfield, Hughes oversaw a summer transfer spending of around £200 million, including the acquisition of French forward Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain. In a statement, Hughes expressed his continued support for the club, saying he would "always follow and support the club with great affection" and wished everyone involved "nothing but success for this season and beyond." Hughes, 47, took up his role at Liverpool shortly after the departure of long-time manager Jürgen Klopp and played a key role in appointing his successor, Arne Slot. Slot led Liverpool to their 20th Premier League title in his first season as manager. Hughes was also involved in major signings, including the £125 million transfer of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United and the £116 million arrival of Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen. However, Slot struggled to maintain his early success, and Liverpool finished fifth last season, leading to his departure and the appointment of Andoni Iraola, a former colleague of Hughes at Bournemouth. Mike Gordon, president of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which owns Liverpool, expressed respect for Hughes' decision, stating, "We respect Richard's life choices and wish him and his family well in their next venture." Meanwhile, Al-Hilal, a 21-time Saudi Arabian champions, have been active in the transfer market, spending nearly £180 million in the summer window. They signed Brazilian winger Gabriel Martinelli from Arsenal for £60 million, England striker Ollie Watkins from Aston Villa for £51 million, and Netherlands midfielder Cyrenscio Summerville from West Ham for £60 million. The club is managed by former Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi. Hughes' departure marks another period of significant change at Liverpool. Over the past year, it has been widely known that Hughes would be leaving for Al-Hilal, and his exit now adds to a summer of transitions at Anfield. Earlier this year, Liverpool replaced Slot with Iraola, and in July, former chief executive of football Michael Edwards resigned. Recently, FSG confirmed the sale of a minority stake in the club to a consortium including Jeff Bezos. This has led to Liverpool searching for their fifth sporting director since 2022. Hughes' decision to leave earlier this year was made after Edwards stepped down, and he remained in his position until the end of the summer transfer window. His departure, despite speculation about his ties to Al-Hilal, was confirmed to have adhered to an agreement to focus solely on Liverpool during that period.