Bournemouth technical director Simon Francis is set to leave the club at the end of the season.
The 41-year-old former Bournemouth captain has worked with the club since 2021 and served as technical director since the summer of 2024, replacing Richard Hughes as he joined Liverpool.
Saudi Pro League club Al Hilal, as well as other suitors, are a potential destination for Francis once his departure is confirmed, but nothing has been signed at this stage.
The Athletic reported in March that Al Hilal have identified Liverpool’s Hughes as a leading contender to become their new sporting director. Hughes is contracted until summer 2027 and is fully expected to be in position for Liverpool’s upcoming transfer window.
Francis will be the latest member of the Bournemouth hierarchy to exit, following the departure of head coach Andoni Iraola at the end of this season, as revealed by The Athletic last month.
Al Hilal, managed by former Inter Milan coach Simone Inzaghi, boast Karim Benzema, Darwin Nunez, Ruben Neves, Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Theo Hernandez in their squad and are second in the Saudi Pro League, eight points behind league leaders Al Nassr.
Francis made 324 appearances for Bournemouth during his nine years at the club before retiring in the summer of 2020.
He became Bournemouth’s executive assistant in the summer of 2021, where he supported then-technical director Richard Hughes. Hughes joined Liverpool in 2024 and Francis subsequently replaced him in the role that summer.
Following Francis’ promotion to technical director, he said: “Having been a part of the huge success the club enjoyed during my playing career, I have also been privileged to be a part of the recruitment department, transitioning from Premier League player to a senior scouting role.
“I can’t thank Richard enough for giving me the guidance and tutelage to understand what it takes to operate at the highest level of football. He is someone I will always hold in the highest of regards. From playing together in the same Eddie Howe team to working together off the pitch has been the perfect apprenticeship for me.”
Francis stepped up to replace the Liverpool-bound Richard Hughes at Bournemouth (Robin Jones/Getty Images)
In Francis’ first season as technical director, Bournemouth signed Dean Huijsen from Juventus in a deal worth €15million (£12.6m; $17.7m). After an impressive campaign at the club, Bournemouth made a sizeable profit on the Spain defender, selling him to Real Madrid last summer for a fee worth around £50m.
Under Francis, Bournemouth also signed forward Eli Junior Kroupi from Lorient in the January 2025 transfer window for £12m ($16,3m). Like Huijsen, the now-19-year-old has impressed in England, scoring 11 goals in 29 Premier League games this season.
In January 2026, Bournemouth sold Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City for a club record £62.5m up front and £1.5m in bonuses, with the south-coast side entitled to 10 per cent of the profit if a future sale occurs. That deal surpassed the £65m ($88.3m) Tottenham Hotspur paid to sign Dominic Solanke from Bournemouth in the summer of 2024.
Last summer, as well as Huijsen, Bournemouth also sold Milos Kerkez to Liverpool, Ilya Zabarnyi to Paris Saint-Germain, and Dango Ouatarra to Brentford.
Francis helped the club achieve their highest-ever Premier League points tally in the 2024-25 season (56) and, despite those departures, Bournemouth may well surpass that tally this season. Iraola’s team have 49 points, are seventh in the Premier League and are eyeing European places with four league games left to play.
Bournemouth are next in action against Crystal Palace at the Vitality Stadium on Sunday.
