Hughes' Al Hilal Move Stalls Over Remote Working Row

The saga surrounding Richard Hughes and a potential move to Al Hilal has taken a curious turn, with the Liverpool sporting director's proposed switch to Saudi Arabia hitting a rather unexpected snag: where exactly he'd actually be based.

Earlier this month, transfer insider Nicolo Schira suggested Hughes was merely 'one step away' from penning a three-year deal with the Saudi Pro League outfit. Yet that metaphorical step turns out to be a rather substantial 4,000-mile geographical one, courtesy of a fundamental disagreement over working conditions.

According to Saudi-based outlet Koora Break, Al Hilal have now suspended negotiations with Hughes after talks collapsed over how he'd actually do the job. The sticking point? Hughes apparently sought a remote-working arrangement with only periodic trips to Riyadh, whilst Al Hilal – somewhat reasonably – expected their sporting director to actually work at the club.

The club had previously progressed far enough in discussions to consider Hughes operating alongside a dedicated administrative team of specialists. However, differences regarding day-to-day oversight and physical presence ultimately derailed the agreement.

Hughes arrived at Liverpool in summer 2024 as Arne Slot succeeded Jurgen Klopp, and promptly guided the Reds to the Premier League title. His subsequent £450m spending spree last summer has drawn considerable scrutiny, with several high-profile acquisitions failing to deliver the expected impact this season.

Meanwhile, transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has maintained that Hughes remains entirely focused on his Anfield role and is already mapping out Liverpool's summer plans. He confirmed Saudi interest is genuine but stressed the sporting director shows no inclination to depart.

With negotiations frozen, Al Hilal are now casting their net wider in search of alternative candidates for the sporting director position, hoping to resolve the matter before the summer transfer window swings open.