This is genius, Richard Hughes finally pulls off clever Liverpool transfer

Liverpool can thank Richard Hughes for this genius transfer.

We were all buzzing when Richard Hughes arrived at Liverpool. Reuniting with Michael Edwards. It seemed like the dream team coming to fruition.

Hughes' reputation at Bournemouth was outstanding. He was regarded as one of the Premier League's smartest sporting directors, someone capable of identifying talent, negotiating difficult deals and building squads that consistently punched above their weight at Bournemouth.

The expectation was that he alongside Edwards would take Liverpool's recruitment to another level and oversee the tricky transition period of Jurgen Klopp leaving the club.

Instead, his reputation has taken a significant hit and Liverpool look like a real mess right now.

There's no denying Hughes has done some great business on paper, or at least what appeared to be great business. Liverpool have broken their transfer record multiple times, secured several of Europe's most sought-after young players and shown they are willing to spend at a level supporters had rarely seen under FSG.

The headlines have been impressive. The reality has been far more complicated.

In truth Hughes has fallen short of building a balanced squad. He will leave Liverpool in a real mess when he joins Al Hilal as expected come the end of the summer transfer window.

Liverpool have assembled plenty of exciting individuals, but the overall picture simply doesn't make enough sense. The squad still lacks balance in key areas, with obvious weaknesses remaining despite enormous investment.

The right wing is perhaps the clearest example. Liverpool knew Mohamed Salah's departure was approaching, yet they entered one of the most difficult markets in years without a convincing succession plan. Now they find themselves desperately searching for a player who simply doesn't exist.

The midfield raises similar concerns. There are questions over whether the current options are suited to Andoni Iraola's high-intensity football, while uncertainty over several players' futures has only increased the need for reinforcements.

Then there is the defence, where depth remains a concern despite Liverpool competing across multiple competitions.

These aren't small issues, they're fundamental problems with squad construction.

Perhaps even more worrying is that many of Hughes' marquee signings have yet to justify their enormous price tags on the pitch. Injuries, inconsistency and difficult circumstances have all played a part, but football ultimately judges recruitment by performances rather than transfer fees or social media excitement.

There is still time for him to change the narrative. Football moves quickly, and one excellent transfer window can erase months of criticism. Liverpool still have opportunities to address the obvious gaps in the squad before the deadline.

But the pressure is growing. Especially this summer as Hughes continues to dither and address the problems in the squad.

He arrived with a reputation as one of the game's brightest recruitment minds.

Right now, that reputation is under greater scrutiny than ever before.

Unless Liverpool emerge from this window with a squad that is stronger, deeper and, above all, better balanced, the questions surrounding his work will only become louder.

But at least he has pulled off one genius move. Hughes agreed to send out Armin Pecsi on loan to TSV Hartberg earlier in the window and this is looking like a really smart transfer.

Pecsi made his competitive to for his new team in the Austrian Bundesliga against Red Bull Salzburg and he delivered a brilliant performance.

The Hungarian was the best player on the pitch for his side, making six saves and preventing multiple scoring chances with his acrobatics.

It's already looking like an experience the talented goalkeeper will learn a lot from and subsequently improve massively in the process. That is why this is a genius move that Hughes managed to pull off.