Richard Hughes' terrible £70m mistake is about to cost Liverpool millions

Richard Hughes has just one job to make in the January transfer window, and his decision not to go through with it will go down as a mistake.

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This new Hughes and Michael Edwards era at Anfield has not gotten off to the best start.

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Liverpool might be leading the Premier League at the moment, but behind the scenes there are a lot of mishaps happening away from the pitch.

For one, the Reds are yet to extend the future of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk.

All three of them have expiring contracts at the end of the season and with just months left on their deals there is a strong possibility all of them could leave on a free transfer.

As well as that, with Liverpool entering a crucial period of the season, it's looking like Slot is running out of options and his squad is wearing thin.

Richard Hughes' £70m mistake in the January window

Anfield Watch revealed exclusively that Liverpool decided to reject a £70m offer for Darwin Nunez in the January transfer window from Saudi Arabia.

That was a staggering amount to reject and it looks even more staggering now in the aftermath of that Aston Villa game.

With Michael Edwards handling the negotiations, some of the blame will fall on him too but it will have been a collective decision made by Hughes and Edwards to reject the offer for Nunez.

It's a decision that could now cost Liverpool millions. If Nunez continues to struggle, his price tag will plummet further and it will become moot whether anyone would be willing to make the same offer for him.

Not to mention, bringing in that kind of money could have allowed Hughes to invest into this Liverpool squad. For that amount, Liverpool could have brought in another midfielder to spare Ryan Gravenberch's legs or a striker who is capable and confident enough to finish under pressure.

You might say, well what if there was no one available?

There was. When the window is open, everyone is available for the right price and sometimes you don't even have to pay over the odds.

Just take a look at Randall Kolo-Muani. He's someone who Liverpool have liked in the past and he was available in the January window. He's ended up joining Juventus, where he has scored five goals and registered one assist in his first six games for the club.

He could have had a transformational impact on the team. Or if Liverpool wanted to spend a little bit more money, they could have brought in Omar Marmoush, who was also available and who has now bolstered Manchester City's ranks.

Last season, as per the Economic Times, the Premier League winners pocketed £62.3m.

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If Liverpool do not win the league, it will be down to the club's inactivity in the January market and as a result Hughes will lose out on millions.

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