Wyness: Saudi Arabia faces 'unavoidable' problem in targeting Liverpool senior man

Liverpool’s Richard Hughes is attracting interest from Saudi Arabia amid shifting perceptions of the role of the sporting director.

That is according to ex-Everton, Aston Villa, and Aberdeen chief executive Keith Wyness, speaking exclusively to Football Insider, who believes Saudi clubs will only be targeting the best sporting directors.

Hughes has over a decade of experience at Bournemouth and Liverpool, and is on a shortlist to join Al-Ahli.

Whilst Saudi look to poach the best talent on and off the pitch in the Premier League, the conflict in the Middle East may prove to be an issue.

Hughes has overseen Liverpool’s business in the transfer market, and will be expected to spearhead it again this summer, with the 46-year-old contracted at Anfield until 2027.

Richard Hughes’ Saudi deal hits issue

Everton’s former chief Keith Wyness – who served as CEO at Goodison Park between 2004 and 2009 and now runs a football consultancy advising elite clubs – believes sporting directors will be “happy” to be recognised by Saudi clubs.

Speaking on the new edition of Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast, Wyness thinks that the current conflict in the region is “unavoidable” for people like Hughes when considering any offers.

He told Football Insider‘s Inside Track podcast: “It depends on timing and issues and all those sorts of things. 

“Certainly for the Saudi Premier League right now, it’s unavoidable that people are going to be thinking about those sorts of situations. And whether it means also that some of the sponsorships may dry up as some of the budgets get directed elsewhere to more pressing economic needs in the different Gulf countries.

“Will Emirates be able to spend as much going forward? We have to wait and see if all those sorts of things start to come into question.

“So, Richard Hughes to me just signifies the fact that the Saudis have now caught up to the fact that, yes, this is an area and a skill set of people that we should be looking at and if we’re going to try we want to get the best we can.

“That’s just a signal, but it’ll mean the sporting directors should be happy that they’re now being recognised and hopefully the ones from the Premier League will think, ah, at last, I’ve got a bargaining chip here now with my club that I can go and possibly say I’ve got some offers from Saudi.

“Anyway, that’s where I see the evolution of things in the bigger picture.”  

Mohamed Salah next destination update

Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider that Mohamed Salah won’t be moving to Europe when he leaves Liverpool at the end of the season.

Salah’s form at Anfield this season, where he has scored just five Premier League goals in 19 starts, means European clubs have doubts about signing the 33-year-old.

The forward’s high wage demands would also be a hurdle to overcome, meaning a move to Saudi is edging closer.

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