{
  "id": 5911423,
  "title": "Liverpool spent £670m under Richard Hughes and only got worse",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/06/liverpool-spent-670m-under-richard-hughes-and-only-got-worse",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-06T05:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/liverpool-spent-670m-under-richard-050000405.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Richard Hughes' tenure as Liverpool's sporting director lasted just over two years, during which the club spent a staggering £670 million on new signings. Despite this significant investment, the club's fortunes declined, and they finished fifth in the Premier League last season, compared to their previous 84 points total and first-place finish. Hughes' strategy, which involved signing high-profile players like Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Bradley Barcola, failed to deliver the expected results. Isak, in particular, failed to live up to expectations, scoring only three goals in the Premier League during his time at Liverpool. The club's reputation suffered as a result of the expensive underachievement, with many fans believing that Hughes' departure will be celebrated as one of the worst in history. The sporting director's departure, while initially met with mixed reactions, may ultimately be viewed as a necessary step in Liverpool's ongoing rebuilding process.",
  "summary": "IN FOCUS: Liverpool’s departing sporting director won the Premier League with Arne Slot but his task of rebuilding Jurgen Klopp’s old team remains unfinished despite spending two-thirds of a billion. By Richard Jolly",
  "key_points": [
    "Liverpool spent £670m on signings under Richard Hughes",
    "Hughes' strategy failed to deliver expected results",
    "Fans believe Hughes' departure will be worst in history"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}