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Questions are emerging over the future of FSG’s football chief executive Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes. Both have overseen Liverpool’s restructure since their 2024 appointments, but this summer could see significant changes.
The pair have reportedly attracted interest from clubs in Saudi Arabia. Edwards and Hughes will enter the final year of their contracts at the end of the current season, the same situation facing Arne Slot and his staff.
According to The Telegraph, neither Edwards nor Hughes plans to remain beyond their contracts, which expire in the summer of 2027.
The report claims that “Both Hughes and Edwards – sporting director and FSG’s football chief executive respectively – have fixed-term deals that end at the same time. Both planned to stay for the contracted three years and no longer.”
The Telegraph also reports that FSG expect Arne Slot to remain as Liverpool’s head coach for the next season, despite recent poor performances.
Al-Hilal have reportedly made approaches for Richard Hughes, while the same club approached Michael Edwards last summer about a broader role, only to be turned down.
After leaving Liverpool in 2022, Edwards returned two years later as Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football, emphasising that he serves the owners rather than the club itself.
“One of the biggest factors in my decision is the commitment to acquire and oversee an additional club, growing this area of their organisation,” Edwards said in a press release.
Prior to his appointment, Edwards had been working as a consultant for Ludonautics, the sports advisory and analytics company founded by former Liverpool director of research Ian Graham.
Since stepping down as sporting director in 2022, he had rejected around a dozen job offers from clubs across Europe, including approaches from Premier League rivals Manchester United and Chelsea to lead their football operations.
Hughes officially took over responsibilities at the AXA Training Centre on June 1, ahead of the 2024–25 campaign, having been appointed by Michael Edwards. The pair previously worked together during Hughes’ playing career at Portsmouth.
Hughes left his role as technical director at AFC Bournemouth, where he spent a decade overseeing the club’s football operations. As a player, the former Scotland international made more than 300 career appearances, primarily as a midfielder for Portsmouth and Bournemouth.
Liverpool spent a record £446.2 million last summer on signings including Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Hugo Ekitike. The Reds are now fighting to secure Champions League qualification this season, with the Reds currently fifth in the Premier League on 49 points.
They face Fulham on Saturday in a key fixture for Arne Slot before their first trip to Everton’s new stadium. A demanding run follows, with league trips to Old Trafford and Villa Park, as well as a home clash against sixth-placed Chelsea.
