Al Hilal have reportedly turned their attention to departing Bournemouth technical director Simon Francis rather than Liverpool's Richard Hughes ahead of the summer window

06:00, 04 May 2026

Richard Hughes was announced as Liverpool's new sporting director on March 20, 2024(Image: Getty)

Liverpool's sporting director Richard Hughes appears set to remain at Anfield after Al Hilal shifted its attention to a new target, with Bournemouth technical director Simon Francis emerging as a leading candidate for the Saudi Pro League club instead.

The Athletic reported that Francis, 41, is set to leave Bournemouth at the end of the season following a 15-year association with the south coast club. Al Hilal is among the potential destinations for the former Bournemouth captain, alongside other unnamed suitors, though nothing has been signed at this stage.

The development offers a significant boost to Liverpool, who had been monitoring Al Hilal's pursuit of Hughes with concern given the Saudi club's persistent interest and considerable financial resources. It comes as Jamie Carragher revealed his long-term Liverpool 'worry' after calling for summer transfer action.

READ MORE: How many points Liverpool needs to qualify for Champions League after Man Utd defeatREAD MORE: Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Man Utd as Szoboszlai good but 3 really struggle

Al Hilal, managed by former Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi and backed by the Public Investment Fund, had previously identified Hughes as a leading contender for its sporting director role.

Reports from TEAMtalk suggested the Saudi side had already tabled proposals to convince Hughes to make the move. Hughes is contracted at Liverpool until summer 2027 and is fully expected to be in position for the club's upcoming transfer window.

With Al Hilal's attention apparently turning to Francis, Liverpool can focus on the task at hand, and Hughes has reportedly wasted no time in doing exactly that.

Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes(Image: Getty Images)

According to a report from Anfield Index, the sporting director is a significant admirer of Sporting CP attacking midfielder Francisco Trincão and has already made serious enquiries about a potential summer move.

Trincão signed a new contract with Sporting last month that contains a €60 million release clause, and with Mohamed Salah confirmed to be leaving Anfield at the end of the season, the 26-year-old Portugal international has been identified as a potential replacement profile.

Francis's departure from Bournemouth, meanwhile, represents the conclusion of a remarkable chapter. He joined Bournemouth on loan from Charlton in 2011, made the move permanent the following January, and went on to make more than 300 appearances for the club as a central figure in Eddie Howe's squads that climbed from League One to the Premier League.

Arne Slot speaks with sporting director Richard Hughes after lifting the Premier League title last season(Image: Kieran McManus/REX/Shutterstock)

After retiring from playing in 2020, he transitioned into the recruitment department, working under his former teammate Hughes before being promoted to technical director when Hughes departed for Liverpool in 2024.

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In that role, Francis oversaw some of the most lucrative transfer work in Bournemouth's history, including the sale of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City for £62.5 million in January and the purchase and subsequent sale of Dean Huijsen, bought from Juventus for €15 million and sold to Real Madrid for around £50 million.

He leaves with the club sitting seventh in the Premier League and eyeing European football.

When he took the technical director role in 2024, Francis paid tribute to the man whose path he was following. "I can't thank Richard enough for giving me the guidance and tutelage to understand what it takes to operate at the highest level of football," he said. "From playing together in the same Eddie Howe team to working together off the pitch has been the perfect apprenticeship for me."

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Liverpool transfer news as Arne Slot is linked with a Borussia Dortmund star and the Reds are also tipped to make a move for another defender at a price point of around $33M

05:00, 04 May 2026

Daniel Svensson of Borussia Dortmund.(Image: Alexandre Simoes/Borussia Dortmund via Getty Images)

Liverpool might have lost to Manchester United, but that only puts in doubt its ability to finish above the Red Devils in the table. A Champions League place will soon be confirmed.

For that reason, the Reds can afford to look ahead to the summer. Liverpool will need to spend as much time as it can on the training field, and it will also need to add some more quality in the transfer market. Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes will both be busy.

Here is the Liverpool.com verdict on the transfer gossip to emerge around the Reds today. We start with a Borussia Dortmund ace said to have admirers in the Premier League.

READ MORE: Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Man Utd as Szoboszlai good but 3 really struggleREAD MORE: Arne Slot error proves costly as Liverpool and Man Utd reality clear - 5 talking pointsDaniel Svensson

Liverpool and Arsenal are both said to be keen on the Borussia Dortmund and Sweden left-back Daniel Svensson, who has made a name for himself in the Bundesliga.

Svensson is an attack-minded defender who has caught the eye at times this season. At 24, he is at a good age to be able to kick on and take the next step at some point soon.

With Andy Robertson leaving this summer, Liverpool is being touted for a move by Fussball Daten. Arsenal, it says, is keen because of Riccardo Calafiori's recent injury problems.

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Mainly deployed at left-back, Svensson can also play higher upfield and he is very fast and direct with his dribbling. He has scored four goals and laid on two assists this season, and is also capable of playing in midfield.

Liverpool.com says: Svensson is someone to watch heading into the summer window generally, but Kostas Tsimikas is coming back to Anfield and he seems like a more cost-effective option.

It is only a year ago that Milos Kerkez arrived at Liverpool for relatively big money from Bournemouth. As a result of the progress he has made this term, he looks to have the number one spot nailed down.

Sam Beukema (Napoli)

Liverpool is among the clubs to hold a strong interest in the Napoli defender Sam Beukema, according to Area Napoli. It is even claimed that he could be the subject of a $33 million (£24 million) bid.

Beukema is a 27-year-old Dutch center-back who has impressed in Italy of late. He is above the age that Liverpool would normally target but some additional experience might be required this summer with the likes of Robertson and Mohamed Salah leaving.

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Sam Beukema of SSC Napoli.(Image: Ivan Romano/Getty Images)

Bringing in a couple more proven players would be a move away from the norm for the Reds, but it might have benefits in terms of managing with the loss of a couple of major players in the locker room.

Liverpool.com says: Tall and good on the ball, Beukema would be an interesting profile. He has three seasons in Serie A under his belt, so he could be a decent option for someone in the Premier League when the next window opens.

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Liverpool lost 3-2 against Manchester United in the Premier League, but Arne Slot and Michael Carrick both have work to do before next season to take the next step with their teams

04:00, 04 May 2026

Arne Slot, head coach of Liverpool, and Michael Carrick, interim manager of Manchester United.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Manchester United, no doubt, will take plenty of heart from this. Liverpool, for obvious reasons, won’t be feeling so cheery.

Coming back from two goals down? Good. Being two down in the first place? Certainly not. Though it helped that Liverpool battled harder after the break, the change in fortunes was more that Arne Slot set his team up wrong in the first 45 minutes and fixed it in the second, making for the classic game of two halves.

A similar sort of assessment can be made with Manchester United, too, however. Though it won the game, it let in two goals in a silly manner and was very nearly made to pay for a poor start to the second half.

READ MORE: Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Man Utd as Szoboszlai good but 3 really struggleREAD MORE: Arne Slot error proves costly as Liverpool and Man Utd reality clear - 5 talking points

Amad Diallo negatively changed things when he was introduced and Dominik Szoboszlai pounced, but Liverpool didn’t create that much, in truth. Individual errors from Michael Carrick’s men did that for them — with Cody Gakpo’s goal coming via that route as well.

From there, Liverpool didn’t push on and find a third, instead drifting again and letting the game get away from it. While one team came away victorious and the other deflated, Kobbie Mainoo’s effort, in the end, was the difference between two fundamentally flawed sides.

"The margins are not so big on us being able to win a game like this," Slot insisted at the final whistle. "I know what we can improve on and we are already working hard on this.

Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring for Liverpool against Man Utd.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

"The same issues keep coming back which is not a huge surprise as you don't have long to fix it during the season. Tactically, you can change certain things, but for me it is clear where we have to improve and we will."

Right now, neither Liverpool nor Manchester United look like potential title contenders next season, really.

The rollercoaster of a game says plenty, for instance. Title winners don’t find themselves two down like that; nor do they allow a side to come back with that kind of cushion.

For Slot, that is the challenge that he is set to tackle this summer.

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On the training field and in the transfer market, there is plenty of work that needs doing, even if Liverpool was desperately unfortunate to miss Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah — and both goalkeepers, Alisson Becker and Giorgi Mamardashvili — all through injury.

While Carrick and his players celebrated wildly at the final whistle, they and Liverpool will know there is much to improve — for both clubs, not just the losers.

Neither will get far in the Champions League playing like this, even though they are each going to qualify. Neither, on this evidence, will be fighting Arsenal and Manchester City for the title next term without a perfect summer and a fairly hard reset.

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The legendary Manchester United head coach was set to attend the game at Old Trafford, but he left before kick-off after a reported health scare, with an update given on his condition

17:27, 03 May 2026

Sir Alex Ferguson was taken to hospital(Image: Getty Images)

Manchester United is said to be optimistic that Sir Alex Ferguson's health scare is not serious, with him returning home in a few days.

It comes after he was taken to the hospital while at Old Trafford ahead of the club's game with Liverpool on Sunday. The legendary United boss has undergone a number of procedures and health issues in recent years, including a brain hemorrhage in 2018.

The 84-year-old is recognized as the greatest manager in Premier League history. United has reportedly told numerous sources that his health issue was more precautionary than an emergency situation, after he was taken away in an ambulance.

READ MORE: Gary Neville lays into Liverpool 'mess' as 'anxious' Arne Slot players crumbleREAD MORE: Liverpool in new VAR scandal as Premier League explains Benjamin Sesko goal

Speaking on Sky Sports, reporter David Jones said: "One note of slight concern, concerning the great Sir Alex Ferguson, who's not actually been here (at Old Trafford) during the first half.

"He did attend the game earlier but was taken to hospital by ambulance, where he's having a close eye kept on him. We wish him the very best."

Ferguson is a regular at United games while still being involved with the club, with a number of his former players having spells managing the team, including current interim boss Michael Carrick.

His situation is not believed to be an emergency(Image: Getty Images)

Ferguson is somewhat close with former Liverpool head coach Jurgen Klopp — even congratulating him after winning the Premier League trophy in 2020.

Liverpool went two goals down at half-time after a controversial Benjamin Sesko goal was allowed to stand despite what looked to be a handball.

The striker had the ball in the back of the net after Bruno Fernandes nodded a cross back across the goal as Freddie Woodman only managed to deflect the ball onto Sesko's thigh.

Replays appeared to show that the ball did come off Sesko's hand, before it was ruled a goal

A post from the Premier League read: "The referee's call of goal was checked and confirmed by VAR – with it deemed there was no conclusive evidence that Sesko handled the ball before scoring."

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Liverpool found a way back into the game in the second half, with Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo scoring to level the game.

Yet Kobbie Mainoo found a winner for United.

The Reds look to have already secured Champions League soccer, barring a capitulation against Chelsea, which is currently chasing them for one of the final spots.

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Liverpool came from two goals down against Manchester United with Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo canceling out Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko strikes. This is what we spotted.

17:26, 03 May 2026Updated 17:36, 03 May 2026

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot.(Image: Robbie Jay Barratt - AMA/Getty Images)

OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER // Liverpool fought back from two goals down against Manchester United, only to lose to a Kobbie Mainoo strike after a game of two halves.

Within 15 minutes, Manchester United had sailed into a two-goal lead thanks to goals from Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko, the latter potentially controversial thanks to a possible handball offense. In reality, though, Liverpool was very much second best.

Adam Diallo gifted the ball to Dominik Szoboszlai early in the second half and he cut the deficit to one before Senne Lammens helped with Cody Gakpo's effort and the Reds' second. Here are the five things Liverpool.com spotted as the game unfolded, with Mainoo finding a winner with a low strike.

READ MORE: Man Utd vs Liverpool RECAP: Hosts score late winner as Sir Alex Ferguson rushed to hospitalREAD MORE: Why Man Utd vs Liverpool kick off was moved as Reds eye Champions League boostMichael Carrick vs Arne Slot

This game was more about Michael Carrick and Arne Slot than Manchester United vs Liverpool, Gary Neville said earlier this week. With both teams set to finish somewhere between third and fifth in the table, the argument for that is clear.

For Carrick, this looked set to be the kind of result that would land him the job on a permanent basis until the wobble in the middle. For Slot, more questions will be sent his way after a season that has been filled with disappointing performances.

Yes, Liverpool was injury-ravaged, but it should have been able to battle better than it did in the first half here. Tactically, Slot got it wrong. Then he fixed it. Then Mainoo scored anyway. Make of that what you will.

Manchester United head coach Michael Carrick(Image: Ash Donelon/Manchester United via Getty Images)

Liverpool attack blunted

Alexander Isak was missing due to a minor injury, while Hugo Ekitike has a much more severe one that will keep him out for months, and there was no last trip to Old Trafford for Mohamed Salah. That's three huge attacking players that Slot was unable to call on.

Liverpool offered next to nothing in the final third for 45 minutes and was usually either too slow to get the ball into promising positions, or unable to get the accuracy right with its passing to bring in upfield.

Jeremie Frimpong really struggled down the right flank and while Cody Gakpo and Florian Wirtz had moments of quality, they were unable to sustain much. Dominik Szoboszlai, operating as a false nine, was ultimately neither a forward nor a midfielder.

That changed in the second half with the tactical tweak. It must also be noted, though, that it was in part down to Manchester United errors proving costly. Liverpool fought back, but only with some help.

Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring for Liverpool against Man Utd.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Freddie Woodman does well

Freddie Woodman played very well against Crystal Palace. He made some excellent saves and looked set to keep a clean sheet until Daniel Munoz clipped the ball over him while he was lying on the floor with an injury.

This, though, was a completely different test for the 29-year-old, who arrived from Preston North End last summer to play a back-up role. Within a quarter of the action, he had picked two goals out of his net, though he recovered from those setbacks very well.

Alisson Becker may well be back by the time the Reds take on Chelsea — there was a chance he could have been here — and if so, Woodman will have quite the trio of appearances, Everton, Anfield, and Old Trafford. In a way, this ended up being one to remember, though not for positive reasons from a Liverpool perspective.

Curtis Jones experiment

Curtis Jones has played right-back a few times of late, and Slot said on Friday that the Scouser is getting better game by game. Undoubtedly, that is true.

It is correct to such an extent that Jones might see a route to more regular game time in that role, should he be prepared to accept it. That might be his likeliest avenue to being in the team as often as he has been of late.

Here, he struggled to cope with Matheus Cunha to begin with — a possibility for anyone, let alone a makeshift right-back — and was unable to get a grip of the build-up play in the same way that he can at his best.

He improved after the interval but it kind of summed up the square pegs in round holes problem. Cunha had also moved elsewhere by that point. That, surely, was a Carrick mistake.

Tale of two flawed teams

For months, Liverpool — and to a lesser extent Manchester United — has been sweating on whether it would be playing Champions League soccer next term. Even before this match kicked off, we had the answer: both will be.

Bournemouth went in front early on against Crystal Palace and that game was very quickly only going one way, meaning that mathematically, there might be a tiny bit more work to be completed. It is very close to being a done deal for the pair, however.

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While Manchester United and Liverpool are heading back into UEFA's top competition, who is best placed to kick on and challenge for the Premier League title? On the evidence of the first half, there is only one reasonable answer. The second showed the reality: both of these teams remain very flawed.

Things should improve for Liverpool when the summer comes. Time on the training field will help, as will dipping into the transfer market once again. Manchester United winning, though, is never going to go down well.

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Liverpool player ratings, winners and losers vs Manchester United as Dominik Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo scored but Kobbie Mainoo was the match-winner at Old Trafford

17:26, 03 May 2026Updated 17:33, 03 May 2026

Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring for Liverpool against Man Utd.(Image: Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

OLD TRAFFORD, MANCHESTER // When it looked like the tide had turned, Kobbie Mainoo had other ideas. Liverpool had done well to come back from two goals down, but there was another hammerblow lying in wait.

Matheus Cunha and Benjamin Sesko had put Manchester United two ahead before the 15-minute mark, with Michael Carrick's men taking charge of the contest early on.

Liverpool was simply unable to offer much of a threat until Amad Diallo gave possession away just after coming on, and Domink Szoboszlai was able to glide forward and finish unchallenged. Soon after, Cody Gakpo leveled.

If it was Manchester United with energy and Liverpool lacksadaisical in the first half, the roles reversed in the second. These are, after all, two flawed teams with plenty to improve. Mainoo's strike from the edge of the area proved the difference.

READ MORE: Man Utd vs Liverpool RECAP: Hosts score late winner as Sir Alex Ferguson rushed to hospitalREAD MORE: Why Man Utd vs Liverpool kick off was moved as Reds eye Champions League boostWinners

If this was a chance to lay down a marker ahead of next season in a clash between two sides set to qualify for the Champions League, it was quite clearly Manchester United that took that opportunity in the first half.

Liverpool, lacking options and depth in attack, was unable to really stamp its authority on the game until the second, going behind early and struggling to gain any kind of attacking momentum from there.

Szoboszlai and Gakpo were central to the change, but it was tactical as much as anything. Arne Slot got it wrong to start with and then corrected himself. It wasn't quite enough.

Losers

Andy Robertson would have been hoping for a fairytale ending to his battles with Manchester United as a Liverpool player, while Mohamed Salah wasn't even fit enough to come off the bench.

Across the board, the Reds players didn't fight hard enough to begin with and were physically no match for their counterparts. That changed after half-time but Robertson wasn't on the pitch for long. In the end, the Reds didn't have enough.

Player ratings

Freddie Woodman (6). This was the biggest stage that he has performed on in his career so far and things quickly unraveled. He wasn't able to stop Manchester United taking a quick 2-0 lead. After that, did well to keep his cool and showcase some solid distribution.

Curtis Jones (6). Playing at right-back once again, it is a role that he has become used to of late. He wasn't as effective in the build-up here, though, and was unable to do much to help out defensively in the opening stages. Better in the second half than the first, like the team.

Ibrahima Konate (6). Battled well with Benjamin Sesko at times but the whole of the Liverpool team lacked the ability to win their duels. The Frenchman was far from the only one. Fine, but nothing more.

Virgil van Dijk (6). An experienced head at the back, he was visibly frustrated by a lack of movement in front of him at times. He did what he could in the first half, with plenty of Manchester United runners having loads of space to exploit in front of him. Got his wish for more aggression in the second period.

Andy Robertson (5). In ahead of Milos Kerkez, with the Hungary international having been managing an injury this week, he struggled to make much of an impact going forward and was beaten too easily a few times by Bryan Mbeumo. The first Liverpool player to come off.

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Jeremie Frimpong (5). He may not have played had Alexander Isak been fit enough to be involved and was bundled off it too easily at times. His speed is useful, but Cunha did well to track back and he had two or three defenders around him almost at all times.

Ryan Gravenberch (5). In possession, he was decent enough. Out of it, the Liverpool midfield duo simply had too much to do as a two. They were outnumbered and not as physically strong. That changed in the second half with the tactical alteration, but he was still far from perfect.

Alexis Mac Allister (6). An experienced performer in this fixture, like Gravenberch, he did well to put his foot on the ball at times, but simply couldn't do the running that he was being asked to do because of the system. When that changed, the game did.

Cody Gakpo (6). When he was on the left, rather than through the middle, he drifted inside but got crowded out. Lots of the ball aimed into his path seemed to be in the air for him to head on. As the number nine, it just made loads more sense and it didn't take him long to get on the scoresheet.

Dominik Szoboszlai (7). Offering plenty of energy in the middle, the false nine experiment didn't really work. He wasn't a midfielder and he wasn't a forward, ending up not really doing much at all in the first half. He took his goal well early in the second and looked a different player with Gakpo ahead of him.

Florian Wirtz (6). He will need to step up in games like these next season. Without Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike and Mohamed Salah, there was a mitigation for the attacking troubles here, but that won't be the case forever. He was fine in the first half and stepped it up in the second when the team as a whole did.

Article continues belowSubstitutes

Milos Kerkez (6). On to add some more energy down the left in the second half, the 22-year-old did well to get up to speed quickly. Defensively fine; unable to do much going forward to add to the attack.

Rio Ngumoha (6). Smashed a shot wide when Szoboszlai was in a good position, which did not go down well with the Hungarian.

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