Richard Hughes 'targeted' for key Liverpool role as Celtic nearly man wanted by Michael Edwards for top job

Outgoing Bournemouth director of football Richard Hughes is reportedly being eyed to take over as Liverpool's new sporting director as part of an ambitious restructure by the club's American owners.

The Anfield giants are preparing for a new era when Jurgen Klopp steps aside in the summer and high on their list of priorities is appointing a new sporting director, with current incumbent Jorg Schmadtke moving on. Reports that the balance of power will be changing have come so soon after Klopp announced his departure that some have speculated whether his announcement is a consequence of the planned changes, rather than the cause.

But either way they are pressing ahead and former Anfield sporting director Michael Edwards is targeted for a key role in the rebuild. And it's believed he wants Hughes, who Eddie Howe famously targeted for the role at Celtic when he was in advanced talks to replace Neil Lennon at 2021, to run the football operation at Liverpool once Klopp walks.

Edwards, credited for much of their success in Klopp's early days, left in 2022 and is believed to have rejected offers to return since. A new report from The Athletic claims he is now considering a broader offer to take on a role within the FSG ownership group which 'encompasses' Liverpool and other sporting ventures - rather than a direct return to Anfield.

If that goes ahead, it's claimed that highly-rated Bournemouth chief Hughes will take on Edwards' old role. Hughes' work at the Cherries has turned heads and he was targeted by Howe to be Celtic's director of football. Those talks famously collapsed and Hughes remained at Bournemouth where he has helped re-establish them in the English Premier League. But the club have announced he will leave in