Richard Hughes' latest £35m deal is just RIDICULOUS

Richard Hughes has done it again. The Liverpool sporting director is working wonders with his latest deal.

Remember last summer when Liverpool didn't really do much? Richard Hughes found himself under quite a bit of pressure from fans as the then-new sporting director failed to capture imaginations.

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Well, things have changed dramatically. Hughes has now overseen the busiest start to a transfer window in Liverpool's history, with five confirmed deals already.

Florian Wirtz is the main event here, arriving for a club-record fee from Bayer Leverkusen. He's joined by teammate Jeremie Frimpong and goalkeeper Armin Pecsi, who signed from Puskas Akademia in Hungary.

Outgoings? Caoimhin Kelleher signed for Brentford, as expected, and Trent Alexander-Arnold signed for Real Madrid. The latter was actually a sensational deal for Liverpool, who sold one month of the Scouser for £10m.

But honestly, Hughes' latest deal might be the most incredible yet.

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Jarell Quansah to join Bayer Leverkusen

It's been rumoured for a few weeks now that Liverpool were discussing a third transfer between the two clubs this summer. Jarell Quansah was at the centre of it.

That now appears to be going through. Fabrizio Romano gave it his catchphrase on Sunday, claiming a deal was agreed on for an initial £30m. That could rise to £35m with add-ons.

Now, we're sad to lose Quansah. He's a big talent, even if he had a very difficult season last time out.

But his performances as a young centre-back under Jurgen Klopp were magnificent - enough to keep Ibrahima Konate out of the side. He was one of the best young defenders around.

Last season was a lot more difficult and Quansah started just one Premier League fixture by the time Liverpool wrapped up the title in April. That was the opener against Ipswich Town in which Arne Slot hooked him at half-time, never really looking back.

Just a couple of months prior to that game, though, Liverpool considered Quansah untouchable. He'd been off the table in talks with Newcastle United, such was his promise.

Selling that promise for £30m, even with the small number of games, is a blow. However, Romano also claims there's a buyback clause in the deal.

It means the transfer turns into this: if Quansah never fulfils his promise, Liverpool sold a sub-par defender for £30m. If he does, the Reds can buy him back and will essentially pay Leverkusen a premium for guaranteeing his development.

It's win/win, as far as we can see. We're not entirely sure how Hughes convinced Leverkusen to stump up £30m and take literally all the risk here. If he ends up being good, they'll lose him at a discounted price (presumably, we can't imagine the buyback price is £80m).

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A pretty ridiculous piece of business from Liverpool and Hughes, this. A world away from last year.