Richard Hughes will have done very well when agreeing to sell Bobby Clark to Red Bull Salzburg despite Liverpool critics.

Bobby Clark's imminent departure from Liverpool has been greeted by batted eyebrows. Justifiably so, Clark is one of Liverpool's brightest prospects and he was just breaking into the first team environment last season.

Having missed out on pre-season due to an injury, Clark frustratingly wasn't able to build on his momentum from last season and impress Arne Slot's eyes.

Instead, Liverpool have agreed a deal to sell him to Red Bull Salzburg for £10m, which will see Clark linking up with Jurgen Klopp's former assistant coaches, Vitor Matos and Pep Lijnders.

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Richard Hughes pulled off Bobby Clark masterstroke

Liverpool's new sporting director has faced a lot of scrutiny for his dealings this summer, including for the sale of Clark. However, Richard Hughes' decision could be described as a masterstroke in the future.

The path from Red Bull clubs to Anfield is well-trodden. Liverpool have recruited several players in the past who first made their mark in Salzburg, including Naby Keita, Takumi Minamino and Dominik Szoboszlai.

In the future, it is not inconceivable that Clark could follow suit and return to the club. Especially, since Hughes did not just agree a sell-on clause with Salzburg but also agreed a first refusal deal as per Fabrizio Romano, which means if Clark was to leave the Austrian side, Liverpool will have a chance to bring him back to Anfield.

In the meantime, Clark will be getting much needed first team minutes in an environment that will aid him in his development while working with coaches who know him well from their time at Liverpool.

Many may see this deal from a negative perspective, but this may not be the end of the line for Clark and Liverpool, which is why this deal could still prove to be a masterstroke and very much beneficial to the club.