Liverpool may have been offered a boost in their search for a new sporting director.
According to John Cross for The Mirror, Richard Hughes – who’ll leave that role at Bournemouth at the end of the season – is a target for the Reds, and ‘one source believes’ that Anfield is the 44-year-old’s ‘favoured destination’.
There’s one caveat to note in that the Scotsman’s next move could be contingent on whether or not Michael Edwards returns to the Merseyside club during the summer, with the pair being ‘very close’.
This report offers plenty of encouragement for Liverpool fans as club chiefs continue to search for a successor to Jorg Schmadtke five weeks on from his departure from Anfield.
Edwards’ reputation in these parts is legendary, and if his prospective return in a non-sporting director role could help to pave the way for Hughes to land that particular gig, it has the makings of a hugely promising professional relationship on Merseyside.
The outgoing Bournemouth chief has developed a very good name for himself at the Vitality Stadium, with Dominic Solanke, Antoine Semenyo and Alex Scott among the standout signings during his time in the job.
Of course, with the greatest due respect to the south coast club, making the leap from the Cherries to Liverpool brings with it a far loftier expectation and much greater scrutiny, although we’re sure that won’t be lost on the 44-year-old.
If Hughes and Edwards join in tandem and the search for Jurgen Klopp’s successor as manager can then accelerate, Reds fans may be feeling a lot more confident about what the future holds after the German departs at the end of May.