Saudi Arabia Premier League

750k a week for Henderson is just wrong on so many levels..

 

Watching the epl get nervous over this is the funniest thing ever. They’ve been doing the same thing to football for years now.

 

Has anyone bought the TV rights for it over here?

 

I think at first the EPL bigwigs were just assuming it would be the odd glamour signing like Ronaldo was and nothing serious to worry about, but it's looking more and more like they're backing the league so much that there's going to be an increasing outflow of players from all across europe at different levels, must be * themselves now that the saudi's actually start to build something worth watching.

 

Awaiting U.K. kids having an ‘Oil State Team’…

“I support Motherwell..”

“Aye… but who’s yer Saudi team?”

Don’t know if it’s happening here…. but I passed through Prague last weekend and the street stalls had all the Saudi shirts out … with Benzena, Ronaldo etc on the backs.

Coming to a street near you soon!

 

Think its all the big sports networks like Al Jezira, Bein Sports etc. * doing it the sneaky way, making inroads with the EPL and European football, whilst having a massive say in the game in their native countries. Sky/BT have got no chance.

 

I think it’s the TV/Sky and the pundits etc who make money out of it who will be worried. The EPL coffers will stay full for now although the EPL-UCL gravy-train could ultimately be derailed.

I think UEFA will be far more worried as there is absolutely nothing they can do about it.

 

I’m in Kos the now and there is a few kicking about with Saudi strips on as well.

 

Looks like both Jordan Henderson and Riyad Mahrez are on their way to Saudi

 

The league is absolutely *. Signing a few big names isn't gonna change it that much.

 

It will be interesting to see how these moves affect international call-ups for the ones still playing international football…

J suspect the £££££ more than outweighs any outcome.

 

It will though, obviously. If Aberdeen, Hibs, Hearts etc started signing good players, would our league still be *?

They'll keep signing folk

 

Yes it’s crying out for a Ross County or a St Mirren

 

I think if the quality of player continues to improve rapidly then a lot of these players will still be called up. Someone like Henderson might find it hard though.

 

Jordan Henderson: Al-Ettifaq agree deal worth £12m plus add-ons for Liverpool midfielder

Liverpool have agreed a deal in principle worth £12m plus add-ons to sell midfielder Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq.

Henderson travelled to Germany with Liverpool for their training camp but was not involved in their first pre-season game against Karlsruher.

The England midfielder, 33, has two years left on his contract at Anfield.

Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard was recently appointed as manager of Al-Ettifaq.

The agreement for Henderson follows Liverpool receiving a £40m offer from Al-Ittihad for fellow midfielder Fabinho last Friday.

Unlike Henderson, the 29-year-old Brazil international did not travel to Germany while his future is resolved.

A number of high-profile players have moved to Saudi Arabia this summer, including former Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema and ex-Chelsea midfielder N'Golo Kante.

Former Liverpool forward Roberto Firmino joined Al-Ahli after his Anfield contract expired, and Manchester City winger Riyad Mahrez has also been linked with the club.

 

Riyad Mahrez: Manchester City agree £30m deal for Al-Ahli to sign Algeria winger

Manchester City have agreed a £30m deal for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli to sign Algeria winger Riyad Mahrez.

The 32-year-old has been given permission not to travel on City's pre-season trip to Japan and South Korea.

That had already been agreed providing City received a bid that matched their valuation of Mahrez, who had two years left on his contract.

City paid £60m for Mahrez in 2018 and he scored 15 goals from 47 games in the Blues' Treble-winning season.

However, he was an unused substitute for both the FA Cup and Champions League finals and manager Pep Guardiola has opted to let him join the list of big-name recruits by the SPL this summer.

The country's Public Investment Fund (PIF) has also taken over four of the SPL's leading clubs, including Al-Ahli, as the league aims to become one of the top five in the world.

 

Saudi Pro League: Who's who guide to the league making headlines

Saudi Pro League teams have made many headlines this summer, with stars like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante and Ruben Neves joining Cristiano Ronaldo in the country.

Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund recently took over four of the country's top teams - Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli - while the other 14 top-flight clubs have some big-name players too.

You might have seen some of the players and managers who have recently moved to Saudi Arabia, but may not know much about the teams they have joined or who else is there.

BBC Sport has a look at the big teams and which stars play for which clubs.

Abha
Abha, from the city of the same name, were playing in the third tier as recently as 2017-18 before winning back-to-back promotions. They have never won a major trophy.

They are managed by Czeslaw Michniewicz, who was Poland's boss at last winter's World Cup in Qatar, and their biggest name is Felipe Caicedo, the 34-year-old Ecuador striker who played for Manchester City 14 years ago.

Al-Ahli
Al-Ahli are one of the country's biggest teams - and one of the four taken over by the PIF recently. The three-time champions were in the second tier last season but went up as champions. The Jeddah side, who share a ground with Al-Ittihad, are still looking for a manager.

They have just agreed a £30m deal to bring Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez to the club.

Ex-Liverpool striker Roberto Firmino and former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy are their other two biggest signings this summer. Ezgjan Alioski and Modou Barrow have both played in the Premier League, for Leeds and Swansea respectively, while Bastos is a former Lazio defender.

Al-Ettifaq
Former Rangers and Aston Villa boss Steven Gerrard will manage Al-Ettifaq this season, with England and Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson set to join his squad after the clubs agreed a deal worth £12m plus add-ons.

Winger Amin Younes, who has won eight senior caps for Germany, should be back in their squad this year after a loan spell with Utrecht. Forward Robin Quaison is a Sweden international.

Their last silverware was in the 1980s.

Al-Fateh
Al-Fateh's only title came back in 2013. They are managed by former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic, who was appointed in July to replace former Blackburn Rovers midfielder Georgios Donis, who has taken over Al-Wehda.

Their most notable player is ex-Barcelona winger Cristian Tello, who won one cap for Spain. Fellow Spaniard Fran Velez and former Monaco left-back Tristan Dingome are also in their squad.

Al-Fayha
Al-Fayha won the Saudi title in 2017 and the King Cup in 2022. Their manager is former Yugoslavia international Vuk Rasovic. Their Al Majma'ah Sports City stadium, with a 7,000 capacity, is the smallest in the league.

Veteran goalkeeper Vladimir Stojkovic is a former Serbia international and has played for Wigan and Nottingham Forest. Striker Milan Pavkov also played for Serbia, although he was sent off against Germany in his only cap. North Macedonia's Aleksandar Trajkovski scored the goal that denied Italy the chance to go to the 2022 World Cup.

Al-Hazem
Al-Hazem, who were promoted last season, have never won a major trophy. Boss Filipe Gouveia played for an managed a host of Portuguese teams.

They are one of the few teams in the league without any well-known players. Goalkeeper Aymen Dahmen has played for Tunisia.

Al-Hilal
Al-Hilal have won a record four Asian Champions Leagues and 18 Saudi titles. Ex-Benfica boss Jorge Jesus replaced former Oxford manager Ramon Diaz this summer.

Another PIF-owned club, they spent £47m this summer to sign Wolves captain Ruben Neves and also brought in Kalidou Koulibaly from Chelsea and Lazio midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic for big fees. Ex-Porto striker Moussa Marega, former West Brom playmaker Matheus Pereira and Peru winger Andre Carrillo, once of Watford, are also in the team.

Al-Ittihad
Al-Ittihad - also owned by PIF - are Al-Hilal's big rivals in a derby known as Saudi's Clasico. They are the defending champions, with ex-Wolves and Tottenham boss Nuno Espirito Santo leading them to last season's title. Scot Ian Cathro is one of Nuno's first-team coaches.

Formed in 1927, they are Saudi Arabia's oldest football club.

They were one of the biggest movers this summer, signing Real Madrid's Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante, formerly of Chelsea, plus £25m Celtic forward Jota.

They join ex-Brazil keeper Marcelo Grohe, former West Brom defender Ahmed Hegazi and Brazilian midfielder Igor Coronado, who played for Banbury United in 2012 after coming through the MK Dons youth set-up.

Al-Nassr
Nine-time champions Al-Nassr beat their league rivals to worldwide headlines by several months when they signed five-time Ballon d'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in January after his Manchester United exit. He scored 14 goals as they finished second in the Pro League.

Ronaldo's fellow Portuguese Luis Castro replaced Rudi Garcia as boss this summer, and they are the other PIF club.

Inter Milan captain Marcelo Brozovic and Lens midfielder Seko Fofana also made the move recently, while ex-Arsenal keeper David Ospina, former Argentina international Gonzalo Martinez, ex-Benfica forward Talisca and Ivory Coast defender Ghislain Konan also play for the team. Saudi international Mukhtar Ali played for England at Under-16 and U17 level.

Al-Okhdood
Al-Okhdood, who have never won a major trophy, were in the third tier just five years ago. Their manager Jorge Mendonca was Reading's assistant boss from 2018 to 2019.

The Najran-based team have no household names, with veteran Brazilian goalkeeper Paulo Vitor joining from Portuguese side Chaves this summer.

Al-Raed
Another one of the smaller teams in the top flight, Al-Raed have no significant silverware and are managed by ex-Shakhtar Donetsk boss Igor Jovicevic. They share a ground with Buraidah rivals Al-Taawoun.

Their Brazilian defender Pablo Santos has played in the top flights in Portugal, Russia and Turkey.

Al-Riyadh
Al-Riyadh's best season was in 1993-94, when they finished second in the league and won the Crown Prince Cup. They were promoted last season and have just hired Belgian manager Yannick Ferrera.

Goalkeeper Martin Campana has won nine caps for Uruguay.

Al-Shabab
Six-time champions Al-Shabab are currently looking for a new manager.

Former Valencia and Argentina midfielder Ever Banega is their most famous player. Colombia international Gustavo Cuellar and goalkeeper Kim Seung-gyu, who has gone to three World Cups with South Korea, are also in the squad.

Al-Taawoun
Al-Taawoun, the 2019 King Cup winners, are managed by Brazilian Pericles Chamusca, his 30th managerial job despite only being 57.

Spanish midfielder Alvaro Medran made five appearances for Real Madrid in 2015-16.

Al-Tai
Al-Tai, who have yet to win a major trophy, appointed Croat Kresimir Rezic as their manager this summer.

Guinea-Bissau midfielder Alfa Semedo had loan spells in the English Championship with Nottingham Forest and Reading between 2019 and 2021.

Al-Wehda
Al-Wehda, who were formed 88 years ago, last won a trophy in 1966 with the King Cup. Former Greece midfielder Georgios Donis is their manager, having moved from Al-Fateh this summer to replace Jose Luis Sierra.

Costa Rica defender Oscar Duarte scored at the 2014 World Cup against Uruguay, while midfielder Faycal Fajr and goalkeeper Munir Mohamedi both featured at the 2018 World Cup for Morocco.

Damac
Former AC Milan, Atletico Madrid, West Brom and Romania player Cosmin Contra was named Damac manager earlier this year. The club have no major silverware.

Domagoj Antolic won six caps for Croatia and Adam Maher played for the Netherlands.

Khaleej
Khaleej narrowly avoided relegation last season, having been promoted the previous season. They are managed by Portuguese Pedro Emanuel.

Veteran defender Lisandro Lopez won four caps for Argentina and played for Benfica and Inter Milan. Fabio Martins is one of four former Portugal youth internationals in the team.

 

The number of clubs owned by the same investment fund obviously doesn’t ring any alarm bells in their Football Association.