4 months ago
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Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
New sporting director Richard Hughes spoke to the press for the first time following his arrival at Liverpool.
Most of the press around Liverpool this summer has focused on the arrival of head coach Arne Slot and return of Michael Edwards as Fenway Sports Group’s new director of football operations. They aren’t the only big changes at the club, though.
With Edwards gaining a promotion with his return, there’s also a new sporting director, with Richard Hughes joining up from Bournemouth. Today, Hughes spoke with the press for the first time about his and Slot’s arrival and plans moving forward.
“It was difficult at first as we both had jobs to finish,” Hughes said. “But since then we’ve been in conversations daily on logistics, organisation, and of course preparing the transfer window. That’s something we’ll know more about as we go on.
“We’ll spend more time with the squad we’ve inherited—which is a very talented squad. We still need to improve, but we need to improve on the training pitch first and foremost. But with the window open we’ll always be opportunistic if we can.
“When major comps are on in the summer attention is there. After the flurry in June it will calm down now is my prediction. Then when August starts and the coaches have had more time opinions will be more set at clubs and then we’ll see a hurry.”
Aside from an opportunistic attempt to sign Newcastle’s Liverpool-born winger Anthony Gordon, there’s been very little clear evidence of the club’s plans in the transfer market so far and who they might genuinely be interested in trying to bring in.
Most speculation has focused further back, at defensive midfield, left back, and centre half but with a strong squad following last summer’s midfield rebuild it could be that as with Gordon any transfers will focus on value as it becomes available.
