Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes has offered a firm assessment of the club’s summer signings, stressing their readiness and long-term value.
Hughes was clear in his belief that the new arrivals should not be considered developmental projects.
He underlined that Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister, Milos Kerkez, Jeremie Frimpong, and Hugo Larsson have all proven themselves at a high level before arriving at Anfield.
He spoke to The Athletic on Thursday, “We also want to try and win now, and that’s important as well, so I’m not describing them as works in progress or anything like that.”
“These are players who have already done a lot in their individual careers. We talk about Florian and Alex, but Milos, Jeremie and Hugo are players that have achieved a certain level in the game already.”
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Hughes outlines value for money and recruitment logic
Beyond immediate impact, Hughes emphasised the club’s long-term vision. He noted that while fees paid may appear significant now, Liverpool are confident the investment will be justified in years to come.
Hugo said, “In the fullness of time, we hope that, instead of talking now about what a huge fee it is, it has been value for money for the club whenever we’re making that assessment in the future. Because of the ages that we’ve bought, we’re confident that will end up being the case.”
He also defended the scale of spending by putting it into historical context:
“If you look at what was paid for Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk in history and you equate that to what that would be in 2025 money, you’re not far away from where you are with some of the fees that have been spent this summer.”
“We pay what we believe to be fair market value for a player based on age and based on necessity of that individual to fit into the squad.”
He added that selecting the right player for Liverpool isn’t just about cost, but fitting the right system under the right coach.
“First and foremost, the identification of the right player for the right system for the right head coach has a fair amount of importance, and I think this is not something that’s necessarily new for the football club and its ownership.”
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