21 Jun 2023 23:41:57
Stories going round about Saudi being interested in Salah. Has his agent been offering him round there since Madrid and other European bigs team aren't interested?

1.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 08:10:48
Highly doubtful in my opinion. I fully expect him to be at the club next season at least.

2.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 08:53:29
Can't think why anyone with a few years left in them would want to go and play over there except for the ££s on offer. For years we read how Barca/ Liverpool were interested in Neves yet at 26/ 27 years old he's gone off to play in a retirement league.

3.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 09:07:21
Nooooo wayyyy.

Salah is an ambitious footballer. He won't leave European football for Saudi money.

4.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 09:27:50
Salah could easily see out his contract with us and then leave to go to Saudi and still get paid big bucks.

5.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 09:31:20
I have no real understanding of the Saudi League, beyond what the Eds have shared on here.

When I first saw CR7 heading over there, I figured it was a newer, more lucrative version of the MLS (or the National League in the US from the 70s and 80s) .

However, , seeing the relative quality of players they are bringing across, sure they're throwing stupid money to start off with, like they did with LIV golf, to get a few big names in, but I can see the logic in trying to grow a big league there too.

Just don't expect the Saudis to be as quick to grow a women's league!

6.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 09:43:51
It depends what they offer, I do believe that this Saudi league could become, or at least try to become what the ESL wanted to be. It's govenernment backed and the sky is the limit for it.

If someone offers him the chance to become the face of the league, which he could easily do, for a hefty packet that would set him and his family up for generations it could be enough to sway him and who could blame him? I'd love to sit here and say if I was offered it I would turn it down on principle, but it's easy to say that as I will never be in the positiion. If I was, I would probably have to take it for the difference it would make to my family.

7.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 10:27:09
Despite my username I now live and work in KSA. The government have invested in 4 of their league clubs and are making a major change to their footballing structure. I expect to see more major names move there but the journey will be long and will take time. Women’s football already exists with the big clubs but the grassroots structures are not strong. Salah would be a huge draw for them and I would expect attempts to be made to try and lure him there particularly to on of the Jeddah teams where the Egyptian influence from just across the Ref Sea is significant….

8.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 11:09:00
One for the Eds, and excuse my ignorance if I am way off the mark here, however with the Saudi investment fund that own Newcastle now effectively owning the main clubs in the Saudi league does this mean that they can bring in players to their Saudi teams and then arrange for them to be loaned to Newcastle and thus avoid any FFP consequences to Newcastle for the transfer fees?

{Ed002's Note - What has it got to do with FFP? They can loan players out as long as they stay within the loan rules.}

9.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 11:18:12
I read an article on Saudi football the other day which I though was interesting. In short, the difference between Saudi and China, is that Saudi have had established football clubs for decades with a strong fan base spread throughout the various teams. They also have a decent national squad qualifying for 6 out of the last 8 WC's, they have won three Asian Cups - only Japan have more. No club have won the AFC Champions League more times than Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal, with four victories.

Whilst the level obviously isn't that of Europe's leagues, I do think they have a better starting base than China and maybe even the MLS. This coupled with the sheer determination of the government to promote sport (see F1 and LIV Golf) could actually see them threaten the likes of UEFA etc.

{Ed002's Note - They do not come under UEFA.}

10.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 11:49:22
Now that is interesting.

Wonder if this being outside UEFA means they can simply, for example, buy Neves and then loan him to Newcastle and pay his wages. And everything’s officially above board.

{Ed002's Note - Absolute nonsense. You clearly don't understand any of this and I am astonished taht you think Saudi Arabia is in Europe. Just drop the whole subject.}

11.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 13:12:23
Ed002 - whilst the Saudi league doesn't come under FFP, the Premier league does and that would preclude Newcastle, for example spending the reported transfer fees to take the Chelsea players about to join the Saudi league. But within the loan limits they could be parked at Newcastle. Happy to be corrected if my understanding of this is way off.

{Ed002's Note - You simply don't understand FFP. They can take players on loan within the rules and so can Liverpool. Liverpool were left in a healthy financial state regarding FFP by the previous owner.}

12.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 12:47:17
Read that Neves could be agreeing a move to Saudi Arabia to be instantly sent on loan to Newcastle for two years, sorry but if im the only one who thinks that's dodgy as f#£& i give up.

{Ed001's Note - has it happened? No, so why bother whinging about it now? Wait and see if it is true or just nonsense first.}

13.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 13:26:02
Gingerlfc, I fully agree with you. I don't think Salah will go there until either when he has one year left on his deal hence, we get something for him or he sees out his contract and goes on a free.

14.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 12:47:17
Read that Neves could be agreeing a move to Saudi Arabia to be instantly sent on loan to Newcastle for two years, sorry but if im the only one who thinks that's dodgy as f#£& i give up.

{Ed002's Note - It is no different to the City Group where Manchester City have loaned, for example, Yan Couto to Girona or what the Red Bull group of clubs do.}

15.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 12:50:30
Hi Ed002 do the loan rules prevent, for example, a PIF-backed club in Saudi loaning a player to Newcastle for a low fee and paying his wages? Would this sort of arrangement help Newcastle to sign players without contravening FFP?

Genuinely interested as to whether that would be the case, not trying to have a dig on Newcastle or on anything you have said.

{Ed002's Note - Of course not - and it is nothing to do with FFP - why are you all so obsessed with Newcastle?}

16.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 14:34:52
Hi ed002, I wasn't implying they come under UEFA, merely that they could threaten them in the sense of the control they have of major footballing tournaments ie The CL, EL etc and how, if the Saudi league continues to attract big names, could become an attractive option for TV rights and top players thus threatening UEFAs position at the top of the table.
Merely an opinion on the matter, but happy to discuss Geography too as I always enjoyed it at school.

{Ed002's Note - No, it will not impact UEFA.}

17.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 16:35:13
Ed02, I have no idea. Strange, isn't it? The rules are what they are. If Newcastle are operating within the loan rules then, that should be it.

{Ed002's Note - There are regularly players loaned between associated clubs - City Group, RedBull …. - thereis nothing wrong with it.}

18.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 17:42:49
If true it would be a way of cheating no doubt about it. every other club in the Prem will be up in arms. if it was a fan on here asking if L'pool could get around the rules doing something similar they would be told to stop embarassing themselves or worse.

19.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 18:35:54
its not as if they'll chop you up or anything . but wait a minute .

20.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 18:39:26
Whether they loan an entire Saudi team or not, they can still only register 25 players in their PL team. So it’s largely irrelevant. I’m

21.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 20:23:52
So IF It does happen can anyone give me more examples of an ESTABLISHED international footballer that is signed by a club for a pretty hefty amount of money and loaned out to another club for 2 seasons?

Sure there might be kids that are signed and immediately loaned out for experience but like I said, this is a guy in his mid 20s, an international. So yeah it might be all “above board” but nobody can say it doesn’t stink.

22.) 22 Jun 2023
22 Jun 2023 22:54:40
Maybe not 2 seasons but Mascherano and Tevez spring to mind. Signed by West Ham and loaned out to Liverpool and ManU.
Lukaku when he first went to Chelsea?

23.) 23 Jun 2023
23 Jun 2023 03:26:00
Trying to understand the controversy here.
Is it that Newcastle could rort the system by loaning a player from a Saudi-club that their owners own, have that Saudi club pay the majority or all the wages so that those expenses don't appear on Newcastle's books? is that what people are claiming?

24.) 23 Jun 2023
23 Jun 2023 06:00:09
It’s exactly that faith, but as Ed002 says targeted technically nothing wrong with it. Yeah it would be a loophole and in the same vein of owner ‘associated’ team sponsorship but hey ho. We wouldn’t whinge if it was us and we recently won everything that can be won without that leg up. Let’s just see what happens I guess.

25.) 23 Jun 2023
23 Jun 2023 06:16:31
Didn’t they both play a season at West Ham first Ron? Decent shout although that deal was shrouded in controversy too I believe.