Steven Gerrard at least escaped the charge of hypocrisy, but last summer was a controversial time for the previous two holders of the Liverpool captaincy. He and Jordan Henderson both risked tarnishing their legacies within the game by making the move to Saudi Arabia, sufficiently lured by the big paydays on offer to bury any moral or sporting concerns.
It was Gerrard who made the move first, signing on to be the coach of Al-Ettifaq. He then convinced Henderson to follow him as a player. Signed directly from Liverpool, this was a marquee arrival, not least for a club outside the ‘big four’ directly bankrolled by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF).
Meanwhile, Fabinho also left for Saudi Arabia, and Roberto Firmino did the same upon the expiration of his contract at Liverpool. Both joined PIF-backed clubs. And Anfield would need to brace for further ripples, as a mammoth late bid for Mohamed Salah came in too.
This approach was rejected, although it was taken as read that the Pro League would be back within a year. Sure enough, per Caught Offside, Salah is still very much at the top of the Saudi agenda as the summer approaches.
He is the jewel in an apparent $2.5bn (£2bn/€2.3bn) plan, with that money set to be put towards transfer fees, wages and agent costs. Alongside Salah, there are plans to target Kevin De Bruyne of Manchester City, while younger players will also be approached — there could even be loan or permanent interest in Liverpool’s Ben Doak.
But focusing on Salah’s future, Liverpool knows that Saudi Arabia’s hand is far weaker than it was a year ago. Yes, the Egyptian will be entering the final year of his contract, but the Pro League has lost a significant chunk of its pulling power.
It’s clear that the money is still there, and it’s equally plain that this will be enough to attract certain players regardless of any other concerns. But Salah has made no secret of his desire for individual and collective glory at the highest level of the game, and it’s clearer than ever that this is not currently possible in Saudi Arabia.
It is described as ‘telling’ that Gerrard signed a new contract with Al Ettifaq just as Henderson scrambled for the exit door, ultimately engineering a move to Ajax. ‘Part of a PR drive’, it was an effort to show that ‘top names want to stay’.
But to put it bluntly, Gerrard is far from a top name in football management. He was a promising one once, having done so well at Rangers, but his CV since then is bleak. Aston Villa’s success since he left is particularly damning.
It’s not much of a coup to keep Gerrard in Saudi Arabia when it’s not clear he really has too many other options. Even his record with Al Ettifaq is poor, and it’s hard to see a club at any kind of top level in Europe wanting to give him a chance.
While Liverpool witnessed the beginning of Henderson’s decline as a player before he left, the current England international still clearly has more credit in the bank than his erstwhile manager. He had a viable way out, and was in a rush to take it despite the massive financial penalty that entailed.
Henderson has since refused to criticize Saudi Arabia, but his actions speak far louder than his words. Just as money was obviously his motivation in the first place despite protestations to the contrary, his decision to sacrifice that money after just six months and seek a return to Europe reveals his true thoughts on his time in the Pro League.
Salah will not be oblivious to this. He will not see Al Ettifaq’s renewal of Gerrard’s contract after a nine-game winless run as a statement of intent from the Pro League — if he gives it any thought at all, he will surely reach the opposite conclusion.
And so as Saudi Arabia plots another summer of big spending, Liverpool will not be any more concerned than it was before about the prospect of losing Salah. If keeping hold of Gerrard sent any kind of message, it was not the one that the Pro League intended, and Henderson’s haste to leave is ultimately far more telling.
