Why £100k-per-week Liverpool man is looking like Hughes’ worst signing

Returning sporting director, Julian Ward, is believed to have been the man who pulled the plug on Liverpool‘s pursuit of Jude Bellingham back in 2022/23, having briefly held the role at the time.

Ward’s view was that the Reds needed to spread their resources in order to make multiple signings, rather than going big on one, statement addition.

It’s felt like a different story during Richard Hughes’ time at the helm, however, the departing executive overseeing three £100m-plus signings across the last 12 months alone.

He’s certainly backed both Arne Slot and Andoni Iraola, but the question remains, are the Reds in a better place than when Hughes was appointed in 2024?

Why Liverpool should be glad to see the back of Hughes

There’s no denying that Hughes was left to deal with a complex situation in 2024, tasked with trying to help ease the blow of losing an irreplaceable figure such as Jurgen Klopp.

Making Federico Chiesa the only senior signing of that first window in charge didn’t exactly see Hughes get off to the best start, however, with the subsequent Premier League title win somewhat papering over the cracks in a sense.

By the time the summer of 2025 rolled around, the lack of action a year earlier had left the Reds with plenty to sort in terms of incomings, albeit with Hughes and co going big on a handful of key individuals, leaving areas of the squad unbalanced.

It’s been a similar story this time around too, prior to the Englishman’s exit for Al Hilal, with the window coming and going despite Iraola having been left short in notable areas.

At present, there isn’t an obvious, standout option for the right flank, while the injury woes of Hugo Ekitike have left Alexander Isak as the sole, senior striker. There’s also the issue of how Ekitike and Isak can both flourish when fit and firing again.

Central midfield, meanwhile, was overlooked again for the third summer in a row, while Iraola appears to have a lack of competition or cover for Florian Wirtz in that number ten berth.

Looking further back, the latest injury setback for Jeremy Jacquet has exposed the lack of depth at centre-back, something that could be exacerbated with Virgil van Dijk’s contract expiring next summer.

A pressing issue also remains the full-back department, with the succession planning having gone horribly wrong, it must be said.

Why Hughes’ worst signing could already be sold

It’s fair to say that Liverpool were spoiled for so long in terms of their full-back ranks, possessing arguably the best combination in the Premier League, or even in Europe, in the form of Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The hope is that the arrival of Iraola will bring the best out of Milos Kerkez again, following their prior connection at Bournemouth, yet having Kostas Tsimikas in reserve feels like a real step down from even an ageing Robertson.

It’s at right-back, however, where a more pressing issue lies, not least amid the absence of Conor Bradley, with Iraola resorting to using Ronald Araujo as a makeshift option in recent weeks.

That tactical tweak speaks to Jeremie Frimpong‘s place in the pecking order right now, the Dutchman having been desperately poor since signing from Bayer Leverkusen a year ago.

Of course, the aforementioned Chiesa surely ranks highly in terms of Hughes’ worst signings, considering his lack of game time, yet at just £13m, FSG hardly broke the bank with that deal.

REUTERS/Phil Noble

Injury has also been a key factor there too, with it having been a gamble to sign the Italian in the first place, following his woes at Juventus prior to that.

As for Frimpong, however, the 25-year-old was brought in for a fee close to £30m, with expectations having been far higher after his role in Leverkusen’s invincible season in 2023/24.

He was a rampaging, relentless wing-back under Xabi Alonso that year, yet on Merseyside, the one-time Manchester City man has looked a little out of place, hence why Iraola has turned to Araujo instead.

Not attacking enough to be considered a winger, as seen in his tally of just four goals and assists, while not defensively sound enough to be a traditional full-back, Frimpong does feel like a spare part as things stand.

REUTERS/Scott Heppell

Considering this is a player reportedly earning £100k-per-week, as per TEAMtalk, it already feels like a wasted venture, this a man who’s been dribbled past once per game on average already this season in the Premier League.

Frimpong is still in the infancy of his Liverpool career, yet by all accounts he already wants out, with reports in Spain indicating that he’d be very open to joining Barcelona.

REUTERS/Phil Noble

He seemingly features on the Catalan club’s right-back shortlist, alongside Pedro Porro, with there a feeling that Liverpool would sanction a sale for a fee of around £35m.

The fact the Merseysiders are keen to cash in so swiftly only further showcases just what a dismal signing Frimpong has proven to be.

Let’s hope those brought in this summer by Hughes prove far more successful at Anfield.