Richard Hughes' top six incredible Bournemouth signings
Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes isn’t having the easiest time of it at present.
His only incoming transfer of the season - Federico Chiesa - doesn’t appear to be working out while the ongoing contract mess with Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold threatens to overshadow his tenure.
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But FSG and their CEO of Football Michael Edwards know exactly who they hired last summer. Edwards and Hughes go back a long way; Edwards was a performance analyst at Portsmouth while Hughes was still a player and the two remained in close contact.
Hughes oversaw two promotions to the top flight for the Cherries and will also go into the record books as the man who hired Andoni Iraola.
Just like the appointment of Arne Slot, that piece of recruitment shows Hughes has got an eye for talent and it’s no different when it comes to incomings and outgoings on the playing side.
He was Bournemouth technical director from 2016 until last summer and here we go through the best signings he made during his time at the club.
Some are included for their contributions on the pitch solely while others have been great profit-making exercises for the south coast side.
So any Liverpool fan worried about the lack of transfer activity on the part of Hughes thus far should be patient and trust his track record.
Milos Kerkez
The 21-year-old left-back is on the radar of Liverpool having emerged as one of the best players in his position in the Premier League this season.
A Hungarian international, Kerkez joined from AZ in summer 2023 for a reported £12m. He looks the complete full-back these days, excelling under Iraola, and it’s no wonder Liverpool - as well as Manchester United - appear interested.
Only a matter of time before he moves on for a big fee. This season he has scored twice and added three assists in the top flight.
Illya Zabarnyi
The Ukrainian centre-back has had a transformational effect on the Cherries’ backline since signing from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2023. Now on the radar of all the big boys - Manchester City included - Zabarnyi has unfussily established himself as one of the most consistent central defenders in the league.
This season he has been an ever-present in the division, contributing massively to Bournemouth’s long unbeaten run alongside the highly-rated Dean Huijsen.
Only 22, he is under contract at Dean Court until 2029 meaning any potential suitors are going to have to pay FAR more than the estimated £20m needed to secure his signature two years ago.
Antoine Semenyo
An archetypal Hughes signing, Semenyo was acquired from the lower leagues for a relatively bargain fee. The 25-year-old Ghana winger is one of the most exciting players in the division and is another rumoured to have caught the eye at Anfield.
The Bristol City-raised attacker cost around £10m back in January 2023 and has consistently been among the goals and assists over the last couple of seasons. This term he has scored seven and added three assists in the top flight.
When Bournemouth previously signed players from down the leagues - such as Tyrone Mings, Callum Wilson and Aaron Ramsdale - they managed to earn fortunes through sales. There is no reason to believe Semenyo will be any different when he goes.
Justin Kluivert
For players like Nathan Ake and Dominic Solanke, Hughes was able to spot sidelined players at bigger clubs who weren’t getting the game time perhaps their talents deserved.
In the case of Justin Kluivert, 25, the Dutchman had kicked around at various clubs - both permanently and on loan - without pulling up any trees either. He had spells at Ajax, Roma, RB Leipzig, Nice and Valencia but never truly managed to establish himself anywhere.
But he’s shown excellent form under Iraola this season, scoring 11 times in 22 Premier League games and adding four assists. The Dutch international was picked up for around £10m from Roma back in 2023 but is now far outstripping expectations.
Under contract until 2028, it will be no small fee that prises the silky playmaker out of Bournemouth.
Nathan Ake
The 29-year-old Dutch international was signed for a Bournemouth club record fee, reported to be £20m, back in 2017 after enjoying a productive loan spell before transferring to Manchester City in 2020.
It was an inspired piece of business from Hughes and his team as they more than doubled their money on the former Chelsea player.
He didn't have the easiest time of it on the south coast, suffering relegation, but has gone on to become a treble winner and key component in Pep Guardiola’s squad.
Ake is a textbook transfer for a club like Bournemouth; his talent was spotted, honed and sold on for a massive profit. It’s a trick many have tried to repeat without success.
Dominic Solanke
Eyebrows were raised when Bournemouth paid £19m to sign Solanke from Liverpool in January 2019. In a season and a half of Premier League football for the Cherries, he barely registered a goal but found his feet after relegation to the Championship.
By the time the Cherries bounced back two seasons later in 2022, Solanke looked a much more accomplished marksman although it again took a while for the goals to flow.
But last season he scored 19 top-flight goals, persuading Tottenham to part with £65m for Solanke to become Harry Kane’s replacement up top. Not a bad piece of business and it even earned Liverpool a few quid too.
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