Richard Hughes on brink of first complete FAILURE at Liverpool

The first signing of the Richard Hughes era looks to be ending in failure.

He was appointed sporting director of Liverpool as part of the new post-Jurgen Klopp structure.

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No longer would a ‘manager’ call the shots on transfers and contracts. That would be the responsibility of the sporting director.

Hughes struck out last summer, firstly, when it came to the contracts even thought it's subsequently been painted as some sort of error on the part of previous management.

That might be true to some extent.

The announcement of Klopp’s departure probably destabilised things to an extent behind the scenes as focus in-house turned to a successor.

But it was described as Hughes’ top priority last summer - and again ahead of January - to sort out the contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold. The wait goes on.

And it’s not like those deals were put on the back burner while the Reds stocked up on incoming transfers. Their one and only approach - for Martin Zubimendi - came to nothing.

Despite shortages in certain areas of the squad and the need for replenishment, Liverpool approached deadline day having signed only Giorgi Mamardashvili on loan. He remains at Valencia for the season - where he is enduring a torrid time.

Besides, the utility of adding another goalkeeper when Alisson and Caoimhin Kelleher remain excellent should be queried.

FSG limiting Liverpool spending again

Right at the last minute, Federico Chiesa was added. Earlier in the summer Hughes spoke about the necessity for Liverpool to conduct ‘opportunistic’ transfers. That was enough to cause dismay in supporters who had become very accustomed to FSG and their parsimonious ways.

Again, it would appear that Liverpool would have to balance the books in each and every transfer window. And largely the signings of Mamardashvili and Chiesa were covered by the outgoings of Sepp van den Berg, Fabio Carvalho and Bobby Clark.

And far from being an opportunistic signing, Chiesa instead has become an albatross around Hughes’ neck.

For the most part he’s been unfit and unavailable. And when he has taken to the training field he’s not pulled up any trees either. It’s led to a situation where the 27-year-old looks destined for a quick return to Serie A, either on loan or else with a view to a permanent deal.

Under contract until 2027, the Reds are now expected to cover part of his wages to facilitate a return to Italy. The signs are not good for Hughes.

Arne Slot can do nothing with Chiesa

He’s watched as Arne Slot has improved plenty of the players left at his disposal by Klopp. The signing of Ryan Gravenberch for example was initially questioned but Slot has brought out a tremendous player.

Likewise, Cody Gakpo and Ibrahima Konate have blossomed, coming good on the faith put into them by Klopp and the Reds recruiters.

But so far there is nothing he has been able to do with Chiesa, whose signing is turning out to be a dud.

Factoring in the contracts, which unbelievably still linger on, and you get the impression that Hughes needs a quick win and fast in an effort to improve his reputation.

Eventually players like Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Salah, Andy Robertson and more will need to be replaced. Furthermore contracts will need to be settled for Konate, Curtis Jones and Conor Bradley before long.

On the evidence of his first months in charge, Richard Hughes is not demonstrating that he is up to it.

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