The Saudi Professional League took European soccer by storm last summer. The league attracted many famous players from various leagues, and Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, and Roberto Firmino decided to go to the Middle East.
Liverpool alumnus, Steven Gerrard also chose Saudi Arabia as a new challenge and signed Al Ittefaq. In addition to the attractive conditions, Gerrard himself persuaded the club to bring in Henderson from Anfield.
He also managed to acquire former Liverpool midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, who had played for Liverpool at the same time, to boost the team’s strength at the start of the season. However, at the turn of the season, they are less than half a point behind the leaders, and their eyes are already on the upcoming season.
According to 90min, Al Ittefaq is eyeing former Cameroon defender Joel Matip, whose contract with Liverpool expires at the end of the season, as well as former Spanish midfielder Thiago Alcantara, who is also nearing a free transfer.
The former Liverpool captain, who only joined the club last summer, is already struggling to make ends meet in the Middle East and is hoping to return to Europe. He is expected to seek a loan transfer with full salary and will struggle to find a new home, but several clubs are pursuing him, with Ajax showing strong interest.
A possible replacement is Thiago Alcántara. He has been affected by injuries and has spent much of each season off the bench, and this season he has not even pitched in a single game. He is a veteran midfielder with a magic pass, but the club would like to avoid a situation where they are paying him a high salary for something that cannot be calculated for the entire season.
Neither Joel Matip has yet moved to renew his contract, and it is undetermined whether he will remain at Liverpool beyond June 2024.
In any case, will Gerrard, who wants to strengthen his team with his own departure at stake, succeed in acquiring his desired players?