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Richard Hughes can repeat Michael Edwards transfer trick and five Liverpool signings prove why

When Michael Edwards’ appointment as FSG’s new CEO of Football was confirmed, he revealed there were multiple positions at Liverpool that required his ‘urgent attention’. Just over a week later, he can tick one off after Richard Hughes was confirmed as the club’s new sporting director.

Hughes arrives from Bournemouth and will officially start work at the end of the season. He and Edwards worked together at Portsmouth and will now spearhead the post-Jürgen Klopp era at Anfield.

Speaking to Liverpool’s official website, Edwards made no secret of his desire to work with Hughes again, with the pair having a professional and personal relationship for over 20 years. Edwards added: “He is absolutely someone who embodies the best values of Liverpool. I trust him completely.”

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While it is quite the character reference from his predecessor, Hughes’ track record of signings at Bournemouth is believed to have been of greater importance to Edwards and FSG. He was responsible for signing young talents including Tyrone Mings and Lewis Cook, who went on to become England internationals.

And it does appear that he was on the same wavelength as Edwards over a number of other transfer targets. According to The Times, Hughes had identified five potential additions during his time at Bournemouth, only to be pipped by Liverpool’s pull and spending resources.

It is claimed that Hughes was keen on Virgil van Dijk while at Celtic, long before he became Liverpool’s record signing and now captain. He would join Bournemouth’s south coast rivals Southampton in 2015 instead while Alisson was reportedly monitored during his time at Roma.

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Admittedly, those deals would have been difficult for the Cherries to finalize, but Hughes had eyed three younger stars before they played key roles in Liverpool’s successes under Klopp. Joe Gomez was just 18 when he joined Liverpool from Charlton in 2015 but was admired by Hughes and Bournemouth, while Andy Robertson was also reportedly ‘targeted’ when he was at Hull.

The same is said for Harvey Elliott, who eventually cost Liverpool a record compensation fee when he arrived from Fulham. He had only made a handful of appearances before that but Hughes was a big fan. The ex-Scotland international ended up frustrated in each of those cases but there is no disputing his eye for talent.

He will of course be involved in the appointment of Klopp’s successor too, with Xabi Alonso remaining the frontrunner. The pair do already have links, with Alonso sharing the same agent as current Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola. The Athletic reports that Hughes and Inaki Ibanez have a ‘good relationship’ and with Bayern Munich also sniffing around Alonso, that connection could ultimately become a decisive factor.

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Regardless of who is appointed, it is paramount that Hughes and Liverpool’s next boss are singing from the same hymn sheet, just like Edwards and Klopp were for so long. They spearheaded the club’s most successful period for 30 years, delivering the Premier League and Champions League among other trophies.

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