Portsmouth chief ruled out of Sheffield Wednesday role after reported talks
The Blues’ sporting director is reportedly no longer in the running for the Hillsborough job
Rich Hughes has been ruled out of a move to Sheffield Wednesday.
Pompey’s sporting director had been linked with the Owls by Football League World earlier this month, who claimed he had been lined up for a switch to Hillsborough.
The surprise news emerged on the morning of Pompey’s final match of the Championship season against Birmingham, with survival having already been secured.
Hughes has yet to respond to The News’ attempts to contact him to discuss the reports, but this afternoon the Sheffield Star have announced he is now out of the running.
According to our sister paper, the man who has helped transform the Blues’ fortunes since his September 2022 arrival from Forest Green is no longer on Sheffield Wednesday’s radar.
Although they report Hughes ‘is believed to have been the subject of some form of exploratory discussion over the role’, new owner David Storch is now looking elsewhere to fill the position.
Transformed Pompey since arriving in September 2022
Certainly the Pompey hierarchy do not want to lose a sporting director of the calibre of Hughes, who has overhauled the club both on and off the pitch during his three-and-a-half years on the south coast.
Although, intriguingly, considering Hughes contact with Sheffield Wednesday, it suggests he may be open to leaving Fratton Park should the right position become available.
Regardless, under Hughes’ watch, Pompey have gone from a struggling League One side to establishing themselves in the Championship, where they will continue to play their football in 2026-27 for a third straight season.
In addition, he has overseen significant training ground improvements, including facilities, with great strides having been praised by a number of players over the last few years.
What’s more, Hughes spearheaded the outstanding recruitment drive in the summer of 2023 which formed the backbone to Pompey’s memorable League One title success in April 2024.
Among the successes, Callum Lang was sold in February for £2.1m to Preston, while Blues are braced to lose another of his recruits, Terry Devlin, this summer, with Wrexham having previously shown interest.
Hughes and John Mousinho met co-owner Eric Eisner earlier this month to discuss Pompey’s ambition and the potential for increased financial help from Tornante after preserving their Championship status with two matches remaining.
Mousinho has subsequently declared himself encouraged following those talks, although continues to be linked with the vacant Bristol City job.
It was, of course, Hughes who identified Mousinho as an outstanding candidate to become Pompey’s head coach in January 2023, replacing Danny Cowley.
A left-field decision which was backed by chief executive Andy Cullen and chairman Michael Eisner, it has proven an inspired appointment.
Certainly few of the Fratton faithful at the time were impressed with the elevation of Oxford United’s set-piece coach to Pompey boss, yet it was a leap of faith from Hughes which has paid dividends.
Both Hughes and Mousinho signed new Blues contracts in September 2024, with the head coach recently admitting he has two years remaining on his deal.