Of course they have. Really need a look at Chelsea’s ownership structure after this.
Saudi League thread
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Of course they have. Really need a look at Chelsea’s ownership structure after this.
I've said this before in another thread but I'll repeat the essentials here.
This isn't really about football, it isn't even really about sport.
Saudi Arabia has a master plan for the future of their country, in basic terms they are copying the Dubai model and attempting to to convert to a tourist/transport destination.
They are planning a brand new airport and also a new alternative national airline, they've ordered numerous brand new airliners to facilitate that, and the airport will make Heathrow look like a tiny backwater regional airport.
Football, golf etc are part of the plan of attracting tourists, I'm sure there are plans regarding hotels, marinas, resorts and such like as well
This isn't really about football, it isn't even really about sport.
Saudi Arabia has a master plan for the future of their country, in basic terms they are copying the Dubai model and attempting to to convert to a tourist/transport destination.
They are planning a brand new airport and also a new alternative national airline, they've ordered numerous brand new airliners to facilitate that, and the airport will make Heathrow look like a tiny backwater regional airport.
Football, golf etc are part of the plan of attracting tourists, I'm sure there are plans regarding hotels, marinas, resorts and such like as well
No, admittedly Arsenal are doing you the biggest favour signing Havertz. That fee certainly doesn't seem consistent with what I've seen of him in the EPL. I know you signed him for big money, and he was genuinely considered a wunderkind at the time, but it feels like his stock is lower than that price at the moment.
The Saudi splurge probably is just fortunate timing for Chelsea, but you have to admit it looks a bit iffy? Even if it was just Koulibaly they're helping you out with, Utd fans know from personal experience how hard it can be to shift a failed signing on big money. Without the Saudi's you'd probably be stuck with him for a year, or had to make do with a loan where you pay a huge chunk of his wages. There's also the links to younger guys like CHO, although I personally can't see him going there right now.
And I'm sure Ziyech and Mendy would have easily found takers, but the wages would still probably have been an issue for the teams that would have been keen on them. We'll probably be paying part of Maguire's wages up until the day he retires, if we can actually find someone to take him!
I think I'm just getting very jaded with all the conflicting interests in football now, especially with nation states and private equity funds. Really sucks the joy out of it for me these days. God knows what I'll do when the Qatari's get ahold of Utd
10M loss for 4 years of service would be economically great. Too bad everything else stinks
I said after the UCL final that Lukaku’s only option is Saudi. Chelsea and inter don’t want him, no other top team can afford him.
legions of foreign players have come to european leagues for the wages for decades. If your going to leave South America or Korea for England or Spain why not the middle east?
It's always been about money, what PIF are doing is nothing new so I struggle with the debates about the soul of the sport being lost
It's always been about money, what PIF are doing is nothing new so I struggle with the debates about the soul of the sport being lost
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The meltdown when Partey and Lukaku turn up at Newcastle in August on season long, FFP friendly loan deals, will be epic.
Soul of football is long gone. People concerned about Saudi have missed the boat, it left years ago.
He’s the most famous athlete in the world and is a needle mover, I knew he would bring eyes to saudi but I honestly didn’t think it would be this fast.
They are signing some big names that still have plenty of years left of top level football. If Bernardo Siva moves there as well I think it’s a huge statement by the Saudis.
I feel like Saudi Arabian should target the biggest and best players in their continent.
Salah, taremi , son , etc would be huge for the league and culture
I’ll tell you what though….
Saudi league is going to be awesome to use in next years fifa or “EAFC”
Saudi league is going to be awesome to use in next years fifa or “EAFC”
No, admittedly Arsenal are doing you the biggest favour signing Havertz. That fee certainly doesn't seem consistent with what I've seen of him in the EPL. I know you signed him for big money, and he was genuinely considered a wunderkind at the time, but it feels like his stock is lower than that price at the moment.
The Saudi splurge probably is just fortunate timing for Chelsea, but you have to admit it looks a bit iffy? Even if it was just Koulibaly they're helping you out with, Utd fans know from personal experience how hard it can be to shift a failed signing on big money. Without the Saudi's you'd probably be stuck with him for a year, or had to make do with a loan where you pay a huge chunk of his wages. There's also the links to younger guys like CHO, although I personally can't see him going there right now.
And I'm sure Ziyech and Mendy would have easily found takers, but the wages would still probably have been an issue for the teams that would have been keen on them. We'll probably be paying part of Maguire's wages up until the day he retires, if we can actually find someone to take him!
I think I'm just getting very jaded with all the conflicting interests in football now, especially with nation states and private equity funds. Really sucks the joy out of it for me these days. God knows what I'll do when the Qatari's get ahold of Utd
Yeah I accept that it does look iffy, as in the optics aren’t great. That's a pretty fair assessment that I would agree with.
I really doubt Taremi would be allowed to play there. He's iranian.
Meh. I doubt they're going there because of Ronaldo, they're going there for the same reason he went - the wages.
There’d be no issue if the links didn’t exists between clubs - no one cared about China doing it for example. Issue it is looks very much like Saudi own one club directly, have huge influence on another directly and are sending huge sums of money between the two.
Why would Newcastle sell one of their best players for £60m just to cook the books? Would be really hard to find a comparable player for that £60m and with a wage of ~£85k a week.
As well as Joelinton has done I’m fairly sure Newcastle will be looking to upgrade players like him as well as other positions. They will have aspirations of competing at the top level which Joelinton isn’t. Don’t get me wrong, he’s been brilliant this season but he can easily be upgraded. Anyway he was just an example. It would benefit Newcastle as they could get over inflated prices for players they want to upgrade.
So the Saudi league will now host a tournament for the big clubs paying the likes of united and Liverpool millions and the big clubs will go. Next they will want to host a UEFA match or something to that effect. They are making moves and obviously have a plan to join the elite clubs in Europe. I can even see them going to court and fighting for entrance in the CL citing Israeli teams doing the same thing. This isn’t China and I think the genie is out of the bottle so to speak.
He just started two games for Brazil, I honestly don't think upgrading him would be that easy. He's a physical beast who is good with the ball and still has a lot to learn in midfield. Even if he would be upgraded in the future having a player in the squad who can play pretty much any position in midfield or attack is really valuable.
I get your point but I don't see Newcastle doing any business with the Saudi league as long as things are going as smoothly as they have been going since the takeover. No need for the controversy even if it would help a bit with FFP.
This is the DLC you get for football manger when you get other teams to overpay for players you don’t want or need to get a war chest to spend on transfers
Newcastle might not have a say in it!
Used to be able to sell players for a few million up front and add a clause for 30m after 1 game.
Worked a treat.
I used to love flogging the likes of Cleverley and Darron Gibson for world record fees to Real Madrid!
They want the World Cup in 2030.
Worst part about this is that we still can't find buyers to any of our players. Bailly, Telles and Maybe even Greenwood could do a good job there.
It’s because they want the 2026 one instead with a few buyout offers.
They should replace Canada... Make it a USA-Mexico-KSA World Cup.
Corruption Cup 2026
Tough choice. Money or MONEY.
Hope he goes
Apparently clubs are sniffing around Gray for 12-15m which would be a great deal for us.
Meanwhile…..
Jesse Lingard, without a club, no takers for his services has said….
‘Come and get me Saudi…….’
Cant believe Jesse would go just for the cash….oh wait…..
Jesse Lingard, without a club, no takers for his services has said….
‘Come and get me Saudi…….’
Cant believe Jesse would go just for the cash….oh wait…..
From one top club to another top club, Liverpool legend signed for Al-Ahli.
He can play up top with Modou Barrow.
I wonder how many of these players will ultimately end up on loan at other clubs in that League.
If they’re looking to sign dross like Matt Doherty then we should be able to shift some of our deadwood over there.
If somehow none of the Saudi clubs manage to win Asian CL, it will be a major failure.
Al-Hilal lost the final last month against Urawa Red Diamonds. Ighalo played in the final.
Al-Hilal won it the previous year and a couple of years prior too.
I am amazed Man Utd is not selling to these teams. Is it just a case of some of your dead wood do not want these fat Saudi pay checks?