Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta was right on track when asked abut the possibility of losing his players to Saudi Arabian clubs earlier this summer as Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah is currently hotly linked with a transfer to the Middle East.
Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta’s stance on the flurry of high-profile transfers to Saudi Arabian clubs has been proven right, amid reports surrounding Mohamed Salah’s future.
Arsenal defender Gabriel Magalhaes has apparently been one of the targets linked with a possible move to the desert climes of Saudi Arabia, though the club would be unwilling to sell the defender. However, the transfer drama could continue for Premier League sides, well beyond their September 1 deadline.
The Saudi Pro League has been the destination triggering an initial exodus of big-money signings made this summer, sparked by Cristiano Ronaldo’s incendiary move to Al Nassr way back in December after his contentious split with Manchester United.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund is the owner of four league clubs – Al-Ittihad, Al Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al Nassr – with Al-Ettifaq, currently managed by Steven Gerrard, also bringing in reputable players.
The likes of Jordan Henderson, Riyad Mahrez, Sadio Mane, N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema are among the players to have made the move out to the Middle East. Given that the lucrative transfer fees are understandably not offerings easy to be snubbed, Arsenal boss Arteta was previously asked if he was harbored fears of losing players to the fast-growing Saudi Arabia league.
“The window is still open so I prefer not to talk and say something! Because in this industry you never know,” Arteta said.
“But I understand, it’s another big competitor now and you see the amount of things that are happening there now and it’s something for sure to be prepared for.”
The latest report is that Al Ittihad have ‘reignited their interest’ in Salah, having already signed Benzema, Kante, Fabinho and Celtic’s Jota, according to The Athletic. The 31-year-old Liverpool forward signed a new three-year deal at Anfield last summer and his agent Ramy Abbas has adamantly dismissed claims that Salah could leave the club, earlier this month.
“If we considered leaving LFC this year, we wouldn’t have renewed the contract last summer,” Abbas said. “Mohamed remains committed to LFC.”
The transfer window in Saudi Arabia is scheduled to remain open until September 20, which could likely result in more players looking to lay their hands on the attractive dollars on offer.