Liverpool information: £60m summer season switch ‘panic mode’ as Saudi set for surprising swoop
Liverpool could be seeing huge changes this summer both in terms of the Reds’ squad through transfers and behind the scenes with their sporting director and manager
Arne Slot is set for another summer of change at Liverpool(Image: Alex Pantling – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
Liverpool bounced back in the Champions League with a 4-0 thrashing of Galatasaray to progress to the quarter-finals of the competition.
Goals from Dominik Szoboszlai, Hugo Ekitike, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah saw the Reds win 4-1 on aggregate after suffering a 1-0 loss in Turkey last week. And the victory has relieved the pressure on manager Arne Slot, who has overseen a shocking campaign so far as the reigning Premier League champions have failed to defend their title and are currently slumped fifth in the table.
That follows a summer transfer splurge that was an extraordinary step for the club. The influx of players that cost the Reds a whopping £450million was led by sporting director Richard Hughes, as record sums were shelled out for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, while Jeremie Frimpong, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Giovanni Leoni also joined. Here’s all the latest news from Anfield – with transfers, recruitment and Slot’s plans at the top of the agenda.
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Sporting director rumoured for move
Richard Hughes joined the Reds at the close of the 2023/24 season and has been a pivotal figure during the Slot era.
However, in January, rumours surfaced linking the former Portsmouth player with a switch to the Saudi Pro League, and they have re-emerged, reports the Mirror.
Hughes remains under contract with the Reds until June 2027, though Middle Eastern reports suggested he had committed to joining Al-Hilal.
The Telegraph has now revealed that he is, in fact, amongst a three-man shortlist for the sporting director position at the Saudi club. Al-Hilal have yet to approach Liverpool, and the club are understood to be confident that he won’t be departing.
Should he agree to join Al-Hilal, Hughes would not commence duties until the summer. Despite remaining undefeated, the Riyadh-based outfit are currently second in the Pro League, three points adrift of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr.
They are owned by the country’s Public Investment Fund, overseen by former Inter Milan manager Simone Inzaghi.
Hughes was recruited by Liverpool’s chief executive of football, Michael Edwards, from a comparable position at Bournemouth, where he supervised the appointment of Andoni Iraola.
Concern grows over summer acquisition
Incoming Liverpool star Jeremy Jacquet has undergone surgery after sustaining a shoulder fracture last month.
Nevertheless, anxiety has allegedly swept through the Merseyside outfit after discovering the duration of his rehabilitation period.
Liverpool beat Chelsea to the centre-back’s signature in January. They secured a £60million agreement with Rennes – £55million paid immediately and a further £5million due in add-ons.
The seriousness of the injury, sustained during a league clash against Lens, required surgical intervention and has effectively ended his time with the Ligue 1 outfit. On March 12, Rennes issued a brief statement confirming the operation had gone successfully.
French outlet Sport has indicated Jacquet faces a potential eight to 12-week layoff. The same publication claimed Liverpool are in ‘panic mode’ regarding the full extent of Jacquet’s setback.
The report suggested the Reds had ‘already been envisaging him forming a partnership’ with Virgil van Dijk at the beginning of next season.
The youngster’s rehabilitation is anticipated to hinder his introduction to the squad, with the defender set for a restricted pre-season programme and likely to arrive short of match sharpness.
