Liverpool has a case of Schrödinger's sporting director right now: until we look inside the (directors') box, Richard Hughes is both brilliant and useless. With the January transfer window now complete, the Reds have once again kept activity to a minimum — but that's not an entirely bad thing.

From the limited evidence that has reached the public domain, it's possible to judge Hughes in more or less any way you like. As the driving force behind the appointment of Arne Slot, there is certainly a massive tick in at least one box.

Likewise, the ongoing success of Bournemouth is testament to his qualities, a sign that Michael Edwards certainly wasn't just handing out jobs for the boys. But at Anfield, there has been precious little transfer activity to assess, a pattern that has continued throughout January.

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There is also the case of the three unresolved contract situations. Undeniably dealt a tough hand, it's still a little alarming from the outside that Hughes has been unable to reach agreements with any of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

But again, that assessment is more or less in limbo until the summer at the earliest. There is still time to agree extensions with the trio, and the waiting game may even pay dividends for the club — in Salah's case, it is increasingly looking like a straight choice between Liverpool and Al-Hilal, so maybe Hughes will be getting celebrated in a few months' time for his unblinking brinkmanship.

Even if new deals are not signed, perhaps he and the club will ultimately be praised for their ruthless streak, should time make a mockery of the demands being made by two players now well into their 30s, and a full-back who no longer seems quite so foundational to the team in Slot's setup. Or perhaps losing three of the league's best stars for nothing will end up looking like one of the sport's biggest ever fumbles.

The point is, we just don't know yet, and so we can't legitimately judge Hughes on this basis. But one thing we do now know is that Salah, Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold will still be Liverpool players for the remainder of the season.

This, at least, means that Liverpool has navigated the January transfer window without succumbing to the ultimate nightmare. Whatever the future holds for the three stars, they are currently all hugely important and effective players — with Slot still in the running for all the biggest honors in his debut season, he will not have to contend with the loss of any them.

Were any of the contract situations completely hopeless, Liverpool might have been half-tempted to cash in. By some accounts, Real Madrid was ready to put decent money on the table for Alexander-Arnold, giving the Reds a last chance to at least salvage some cash for one of their prized assets.

There's little doubt that Saudi clubs would have been delighted to land Salah in January as well, and probably willing to pay for the privilege. But though Liverpool has chosen not to strenghen this month, it is vital that the squad has not been made weaker either.

Slot admitted after the Bournemouth win that having a player like Salah certainly helps in tight games against quality opponents. And injury-permitting, he can now count on that for the remainder of the campaign, as he seeks to protect Liverpool's advantage in the Premier League and build on a strong start in the Champions League.

So we will need to wait a little longer to properly assess Hughes and his impact. But at least he has not pulled the rug out from under Slot in January, and that keeps Liverpool in a strong position to see out what is shaping up to be a wonderful season.