Italian forward and winger; Liverpool player and Italy international
Liverpool confirms Richard Hughes has stepped down as sporting director amid a broader leadership change at Anfield. The club is already searching for a successor after Hughes informed them of his decision; Arne Slot’s replacement, Andoni Iraola, is guiding a busy transfer window and the club’s long-term plan.
Liverpool is pressing ahead with a US pre-season tour while a consortium led by Amit Bhatia explores a minority stake, valuing the club at over £4.5 billion. The club emphasizes stability and growth off the pitch as it seeks to build revenue and trophies under new management.
Liverpool are pursuing Barcola from PSG, with talks expected after PSG value him at around €145m. Liverpool see him as a potential replacement for Salah and are negotiating amid broader squad changes ahead of the new season.
Liverpool’s pre-season tour has seen tensions flare after Dominik Szoboszlai handed the captain’s armband to Kostas Tsimikas rather than Curtis Jones, prompting a post-match exchange. Szoboszlai later says there is no conflict and the captaincy will be settled by the club’s captain and coach.