FSG might get what they want for Liverpool from Saudi Arabia

FSG might get what they want for Liverpool from Saudi Arabia

Premier League clubs are starting to find it tougher to move players on for good prices outside of England

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ByDave PowellBusiness of Football Writer
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Liverpool principal owner John W. Henry (Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool went into summer 2023 knowing that they needed a significant overhaul of their midfield department.

The 2022/23 Premier League campaign saw the Reds fall well short of the high standards which they had set themselves in previous season’s, with Jurgen Klopp’s side finishing fifth in the league, missing out on the top four and a lucrative spot in the Champions League for this season.

A team that had achieved so much together was looking jaded, and the lack of dynamism and industry from midfield, something that was a cornerstone of their success over the previous five years or so, was apparent.

READ MORE: Jurgen Klopp is about to get an £80m Liverpool weapon to ignite season-defining spell

READ MORE: Reputations destroyed and crazy social media – How Liverpool exits have fared

Long serving players such as Jordan Henderson, who had been a major part of what the Reds achieved, particularly that period between 2018 and 2022, was to head for the Anfield exit, so, too, was Brazilian midfielder Fabinho, a player whose 2018 arrival for around £40m saw the Reds land someone who would go on to be one of the finest defensive midfielders in world football for a spell.

But neither were operating near their previous high watermarks, and they weren’t alone in that respect. But the way the transfer approach works for Liverpool under Fenway Sports Group, where it is preferred if there is money recouped in order to offset some of the investment into new arrivals, meant that there was a desire to claw back something.

The summer 2023 transfer window was dominated by two things; the staggering continued high spending of Chelsea, and the Saudi Pro League’s willingness to throw money at the market to gain eyeballs and attention.

Saudi Arabia’s growing interest, and influence, in football is something that has caused some degree of concern in some quarters. From the controversial takeover of Newcastle United by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF), to the PIF-funded spending spree of the SPL, to the 2034 World Cup heading to the Gulf nation, Saudi is aiming to make its mark.

While the narrative may have largely been focused on the potential for the disruption the rise of the SPL may cause, where it wasn’t just players at the end of their careers who were heading there for on final pay day, but some players who were actively courted by Premier League sides only for them to lose out to the riches on offer in Saudi, there is a side to it that has been largely forgotten.

The Premier League is a behemoth of the domestic game. It is the most lucrative league in the world by some stretch thanks to its enormous domestic and international broadcasting deals that currently stand at £10bn for the current cycle, with that figure set to rise even further when the domestic rights battle hots up for 2025 to 2029.

Between the Premier League and its closest European competitor, Spain’s La Liga, there is a two to one revenue differential, with the likes of the Italy there is now a three to one differential in terms of the value of media rights, with Serie A actually seeing a diminution of the value of the media rights after its most recent tender, something that saw Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis signal concerns over the death knell of the Italian game.

The Premier League snaps up the best talent and pays the biggest prices. Aside from maybe Real Madrid, no team in Europe is spending £105m and £115m on defensive midfielders with limited top level experience. Chelsea did just that, twice, in the space of seven months. The transfer fees that Premier League clubs can pay, and the wage structure that outstrips anything in European football, means that it is the place to be for the best players.

But there has to be an active transfer market to trade in for these clubs so that they can recoup some money. However, with the wages increasing in England and not so elsewhere, finding willing participants in the market to pay good money for these players and take on the huge wages that they have been able to command in the Premier League is difficult. Where the Italian league or Spanish league might have been happy to come in and pay good money, the desire, and ability, to do that is now much less. That, in turn, causes a problem, something of a bottleneck for the Premier League. That has seen more transactions take place between rivals, with the likes of Kai Havertz’s move from Arsenal to Chelsea during the summer for £65m an example of that. Would there have been another suitor outside of England at that price, and on his wages?

For Liverpool, Al-Ettifaq were willing to pay £12m for Henderson, and Al-Ittihad £40m for Fabinho. That’s £52m recouped in what would have otherwise been a soft market, and just £8m shy of what Liverpool paid out to acquire the pair in 2011 and 2018, respectively. When you think of what was delivered from the signing of those players during that time, it represented remarkable business that, were it not for the willingness of the SPL clubs to spend and make a mark, likely wouldn’t have been possible.

Daniel Haddad, head of commercial at global sports advisory firm Octagon, who has significant commercial experience in football, including in the Middle East, told the Bottom Line: “It’s definitely a positive way of looking at it for the Premier League clubs in terms of another market to move on players to.

“The amount of Premier League players moving on to the bigger European leagues has definitely dwindled, just because of the respective wage structures.

“Take Manchester United trying to move on Anthony Martial, for instance. Because of the wage structures having become so impacted in other European leagues, it becomes harder to do that unless they are out of contract.”

It isn’t just the potential to recoup good money from transfers to keep that particular ecosystem going that has benefits for the Premier League either.

In 2025 the revamped FIFA Club World Cup will kick off. It will be played in the United States, with the new 32-team format featuring the winners of the last four UEFA Champions Leagues, CONCACFAF Champions Cups, AFC Champions Leagues and CAF Champions Leagues. The rest of the competition will be made up of eligible teams from each territory based on a four-year ranking system, as well as a team from the host nation.

The aim of the revamped competition, which will take place every four years, is to raise it from where it currently stands and turn it into a global powerhouse of a competition for clubs, and not just part of pre-season preparations for the biggest clubs.

Creating a truly global competition would be lucrative for all involved, from FIFA, to the clubs, the leagues. For the Premier League it would likely satisfy the desire of owners of the top six clubs that had attempted to form the European Super League with another six from across Europe back in 2021, with a change of format to competitions, most notably the Champions League, something that has been desired for some time, and one of the motivating factors behind the ESL plot in the first place.

For Liverpool and owners FSG, the success of the revamped FIFA Club World Cup offers a great deal of upside, with it being a motivating factor, among others, of the owners retaining a long-term vision for their stewardship of the club, with value creation derived from increased revenues from the revamping and reimagining of such competitions, helping the Reds with their global aims and brand building.

“This is another thing to consider about the Saudi Pro League, and another potential positive for the Premier League,” explained Haddad.

“Forget all about the stories around Saudi Pro League clubs joining the Champions League, logistically it just isn’t going to happen. They aren’t going to leave the AFC and join UEFA because they would go from being the strongest entity in one confederation to being one of the weakest in another. Being in the AFC isn’t a bad place for them to be, and they certainly aren’t going to leave it before the 2034 World Cup, because that is the way that they’re going to get it.

“The development of other competition structures that involve other confederations is an interesting one. The FIFA Club World Cup from 2025, there is a very real possibility, I think, that if that tournament is a success then it becomes not just a once every four years competition. The way it becomes a success is that it doesn’t become a mini UEFA Champions League pre-season type competition because the 12 European clubs are the only ones that can win it.

“If you actually have some good Saudi Pro League teams with good squads that can qualify for that and compete, then that competition structure becomes more valuable and more money goes back to the clubs. So, having strong clubs in other confederations doesn’t impact the day to day stuff for the Premier League teams. You aren’t competing against them in league or European competition, but you have the potential to generate revenue from those teams.

“A good example is that in Riyadh there will be the Al-Nassr versus Inter Miami game, which is being marketed as the ‘Last Dance’ between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Events like that, having a strong ecosystem in the market that is probably going to spend the most money over the course of the next decade is probably a good thing for Premier League teams as it opens up other revenue opportunities.

“When I went to Saudi recently, I got in my taxi for Dammam and the only thing the taxi driver was talking about was Ronaldo and Al-Nassr. It has definitely had a major impact domestically. It doesn’t matter if 800 people are going to some of the games because it’s not about generating crowds for games between Al-Riyadh and Al-Shabab, it is about starting to generate a footballing economy for the future. The same taxi journey a couple of years ago would have likely seen the taxi driver want to talk about Real Madrid or Manchester United.”

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Every Liverpool player available for Fulham as five out and Jürgen Klopp squad set to be tested
Liverpool takes on Fulham in the Premier League, with five players set to be missing for Jürgen Klopp. The Reds are set to enter a massive period in their season.

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ByMatt AddisonLiverpool.com Editor
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Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp. (Image: Photo by Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)

On Saturday, Arsenal survived a late scare after a comfortable afternoon against Wolves to extend its lead at the top of the Premier League table. On Sunday, Liverpool and Manchester City will get the opportunity to respond.

Liverpool, of course, is set to play against Fulham at Anfield. While Spurs have a good record against Pep Guardiola’s side, Manchester City is the favorite to get all three points after that at the Etihad Stadium.

But the Reds can only focus on themselves. With a big period of fixtures coming up, it needs to make a good start to a big week. After facing Fulham, a trip to Sheffield United comes on Wednesday and then Crystal Palace on Saturday in another early kick-off.

READ MORE: Liverpool has ‘game-changer’ like Jude Bellingham for $98m less who can explode for Jürgen Klopp

READ MORE: Xabi Alonso truth clear for Liverpool as Real Madrid ‘chooses Carlo Ancelotti replacement’

Jürgen Klopp will be missing five players for the Fulham game: Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Andy Robertson, Thiago Alcântara and Stefan Bajčetić. None are expected back any time soon, either, with Alisson likely to be missing until Manchester United comes to Anfield later this month.

Jota will be out for longer than the Brazilian, but exactly how long yet we are not sure. Meanwhile, Robertson, Thiago and Bajčetić are all long-term absentees.

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That means that the likes of Wataru Endō and Harvey Elliott will need to step up. Here Liverpool.com brings you the full list of players available to the manager as the Reds host Fulham on Sunday. It is likely to be the same group that Klopp can pick from midweek as well, but changes between the two games can be expected to balance things out.

Goalkeepers: Caoimhín Kelleher, Adrián.

Defenders: Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konaté, Joël Matip, Joe Gomez, Kostas Tsimikas, Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Midfielders: Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endō, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Ryan Gravenberch.

Forwards:Luis Díaz, Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Núñez.

Players who are injured: Alisson Becker, Diogo Jota, Andy Robertson, Thiago Alcântara, Stefan Bajčetić.

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OPINIONLiverpool has ‘game-changer’ like Jude Bellingham for $98m less who can explode for Jürgen Klopp
It took longer than expected, but Liverpool is being proved right in its ‘game-changer’ analysis. Jude Bellingham is thriving but Jürgen Klopp signed alternatives.

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ByJames MartinLiverpool Writer
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Ryan Gravenberch before Liverpool beat Nottingham Forest in October. (Image: Photo by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Liverpool will look back at the summer of 2023 as a pivotal one in a few years. The early signs are that it was a good one. In Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch, it picked up some key parts of its future.

And that was all after a move for Jude Bellingham became unfeasible. The Real Madrid superstar was a target for a long time, but it became apparent last season that wholesale changes were needed, and the transfer focus ultimately had to be on assembling a brand-new midfield unit at Anfield.

That meant a generational talent slipping away, even if he might have picked Real Madrid regardless. In other circumstances, Liverpool would still be reeling; Bellingham has certainly done nothing to help matters, somehow finding even more levels in his early months in Spain.

READ MORE: Xabi Alonso truth clear for Liverpool as Real Madrid ‘chooses Carlo Ancelotti replacement’

READ MORE: Alexis Mac Allister explains Darwin Núñez and Pep Guardiola argument after Man City vs Liverpool

But as Jürgen Klopp’s side continues to head in the right direction, seemingly having already done enough to suggest that this stay in the Europa League will be a short one, thoughts are now a long way from Bellingham. That’s because Liverpool will surely feel increasingly as though it has got the better deal.

First and foremost, Bellingham alone could not have brought Klopp the depth he has now. He has rotated heavily this season and will reap the benefits of that moving forward. But it’s not only that. Despite missing out on Bellingham, it looks increasingly like Liverpool did not have to sacrifice that ‘starboy’ quality.

Ryan Gravenberch has not found starts too easy to come by just yet, a mark of the holistic effectiveness of Klopp’s rebuild. But as he finds his feet, he looks more special with every passing week.

The club will be delighted with just how well he has done in spells, especially after his progress had stalled for a year at Bayern Munich, but it will not be a massive surprise. After all, per Melissa Reddy, he had been marked as a potential ‘game-changer’ alongside Bellingham and Aurélien Tchouaméni in the summer of 2022.

Clearly, Gravenberch is not on par with Bellingham just yet. But you can absolutely see why Liverpool considered he had a similarly high ceiling — this is a player with very limited football over the past year, but he is starting to really dominate on the pitch.

Having impressed against Everton, Manchester City and many more, Gravenberch has the unerring quality of making football look easy. He is so graceful when he receives the ball, and can take opponents out of the game with the deftest of touches. Once he gets facing the right way, he drives the side forward.

He’s got the potential for goals at the end of it, too. In other words, he could become the complete package, much like Bellingham already has. It seems like Liverpool will ultimately have to empower his talents in the way that Real Madrid has done with Bellingham. When that happens, the pair could even be talked about in a similar bracket.

But even if that does not quite happen, this is a player Liverpool got for $41m (£34m/€39m). It’s some $98m less than Real Madrid forked out for the ex-Birmingham man.

Picking up on an underappreciated asset, this is a true return to ‘Moneyball’ for Liverpool. It’s a transfer that already looks like it will pay massive dividends for years to come. The club has eventually got its ‘game-changer’ — and with Szoboszlai on board too, it might even have got two for less than the price of Bellingham.

An original version of this article was first published on October 26.

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“Cannot be ruled out” – Bayern Munich star linked with a stunning move to Liverpool, Klopp knows his strengths
LIVERPOOL FC
Posted by Mehdi Gokal6 hours ago

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Bayern Munich star Joshua Kimmich is attracting interest from a number of top clubs and an exit cannot be ruled out.

That is according to journalist Christian Falk who has claimed that Bayern manager Thomas Tuchel has questioned the player’s position as a number 6.

Falk claims that Barcelona are ‘very interested’ in signing the player while Pep Guardiola is a huge fan of him having been the one to discover and promote him to the Bayern Munich team.

He adds that Jurgen Klopp is also interested in him and knows his strengths that would suit his style of play at Liverpool.

Christian Falk wrote in the Daily Briefing Fact Files:

“It cannot be ruled out that FC Bayern and Kimmich part ways.”

“His contract only runs until 2025. Like Nagelsmann, Thomas Tuchel has also questioned the player. Both coaches do not see Kimmich as a “holding Six”.

“FC Barcelona is very interested in Kimmich. If he comes onto the market next summer, some clubs in the Premier League will also look at him. Pep Guardiola is considered a big fan of Kimmich after having initially discovered and promoted him in Munich. The City coach appreciates Kimmich’s versatility as he can play in many positions.

“But Jurgen Klopp also knows Kimmich’s strengths, which would suit Liverpool FC well. The poker for Kimmich could soon be open.”

Kimmich to Liverpool?
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Liverpool underwent a midfield rebuild in the summer bringing in Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo.

They have made an instant impact and have proven to be substantial improvements over players like Jordan Henderson and James Milner, helping them to a terrific start to the season.

However, they still need a top class defensive midfielder in the team, having sold Fabinho to Saudi in the summer.

And Kimmich would be a brilliant signing for Liverpool. Not only can he play in the midfield but can also prove to be a decent cover for Trent at right-back.

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Liverpool remain in mix to sign ‘exceptional’ £35m Serie A midfielder

Lee Connor
Sat 2 December 2023 18:15, UK
Liverpool are still one of the clubs in the mix when it comes to trying to sign Napoli midfielder, Piotr Zielinski.

Polish midfielder Zielinski has long been on the radar of Liverpool and reports in the summer suggested the Reds were looking to sign him then as well.

The Napoli star has been a key figure for the Italian side over a number of years. He played a key role in them winning the Scudetto and has made well over 300 appearances for the Naples club.

However, with his contract up in 2024, Calciomercato reports he could be on the move soon, with Liverpool once again in the conversation.

Liverpool remain keen on signing Piotr Zielinski
According to Calciomercato, Zielinski has a number of clubs looking into if they can sign him.

Juventus and Inter Milan are among them in Italy, while it’s Liverpool and the admiration of Jurgen Klopp that gets him the interest from England.

Photo by Ivan Romano/Getty Images
Indeed, past reports have suggested Klopp has a good relationship with Zielinski’s agent and that could well hold some sway in conversations.

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The ‘exceptional‘ midfielder is a bit on the older side of the scale at 29. But in terms of experience and quality, he is everything Jurgen Klopp likes in a midfield player.

Maybe a few seasons too late
Zielinski is a name that seems to crop up over and over again in transfer windows. His links to Liverpool are nothing brand new and it’s no surprise to see the Reds linked again.

However, it could have come just a season or two too late now.

There was a time when Liverpool were desperate for new midfielders and Zielinski would have been ideal.

But with the new signings this summer lowering the age profile of the Reds’ squad, it could be hard for Klopp to justify this one to the board.

Still, on a free, he is a fine player and one who would add yet more depth at Anfield.

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What Pep Guardiola said exactly to anger Darwin Nunez after Liverpool draw
Alexis Mac Allister has revealed what caused Darwin Nunez’s altercation with Pep Guardiola after Liverpool’s draw with Man City

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Darwin Nunez is calmed down by Jurgen Klopp

Alexis Mac Allister has revealed the cause of Darwin Nunez’s fight with Pep Guardiola after Liverpool’s 1-1 draw with Manchester City last weekend.

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s late equaliser cancelled out Erling Haaland’s opener to earn the Reds a share of the spoils at the Etihad. But Liverpool striker Nunez made headlines after the final whistle after he was involved in a heated altercation with the City boss.

Both Jurgen Klopp, who would hold Nunez back and attempt to defuse the situation, and Guardiola played down the incident in their post-match press conferences, with neither divulging what had been the cause of the spat.

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READ MORE: Alexis Mac Allister has just hinted at Jurgen Klopp original plan for Liverpool before summer exits

But Mac Allister, who was amused by the exchange at the time before aiding Klopp, Adrian and Curtis Jones in trying to calm Nunez down at the time, has revealed how Guardiola’s reaction to a late miss from Haaland ultimately triggered the dispute.

“I imagine Jurgen didn’t understand anything (that was said) after the game,” the Reds midfielder told Clank! when asked what had angered Nunez. “He asked me what I was saying to him, but it was nothing. It was something very minimal.

“As Jurgen said, they are two very emotional people, both Pep and Darwin, and it was nothing. Some comment that Pep made, Darwin responded to it, but it wasn’t anything out of this world.

“And that’s why I was laughing too. If I see how serious it is, obviously I wouldn’t laugh in that way. But nothing made me laugh a little like how Darwin got angry so quickly.

“And apart from that, at the beginning, Pep thought he was doing everything like a joke, and of course Darwin was with him. It had transformed his face a little then.

“It was kind of a little funny, the whole situation, but those are things that stay there. I think they both respect each other a lot, and nothing was wrong at that moment.”

Mac Allister continued: “Yes (Darwin took it seriously and Pep saw it more as a joke). I don’t know if I should tell it but I’m going to tell you (what caused it). Basically, they had a situation.

“I don’t know if it was a corner or a cross that Haaland headed and the ball went past the goal next to the post. Pep turned around and started saying how lucky we are or something like that.

“Then it goes to the last bit of play, the ball is crossed into the middle and Lucho Diaz wants to head it and they save it. So then Darwin tells him (Guardiola), ‘ah, now you are the ones who are lucky’.

“From there, everything went to s**t. But it was very calm. Nothing serious.”

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