da betway： Saudi Pro League teams have plucked a whole host of top stars from European sides this summer – and they're not done yet either
da poker： The Saudi Pro League's emergence as a significant player in the transfer market has transformed the footballing landscape over the past few months. And with clubs still able to bring in more foreign stars until the September 7 deadline, there's likely to be further blockbuster moves to come.
Although many big names from across Europe did manage to complete last-minute moves on deadline day, there are plenty of others who remain out of favour and in need of a fresh challenge.
Traditionally, the Turkish Super Lig has been the back-up plan for situations like these, but now Saudi Arabia is all the rage. Below, GOAL has taken a look at 10 transfers that might still be completed before the SPL window shuts at 10 pm (BST).
(C)GettyImagesMohamed Salah
No matter how many times Jurgen Klopp insists that he's staying, the rumours linking Mohamed Salah with Al-Ittihad just will not go away. The Saudi champions have already had a £150 million ($189m) bid turned down, though it's been reported that they have no issue smashing the world-record transfer fee for the Liverpool star.
For the Reds to sell, the fee on offer would have to be astronomical. But even if they do receive an obscene proposal like this, would it really be worth it? Selling Salah when it's impossible to replace him would be a likely-lethal blow to Liverpool's Premier League title hopes. If they cannot get a deal done before the summer deadline, expect Al-Ittihad to return with a vengeance in January.
AdvertisementGetty/GOALDavid de Gea
For all of his shortcomings, it was surprising that no European club snapped up David de Gea on a free transfer this summer. Yes, he is not the most sophisticated ball player, but he remains more than capable of performing at the top level provided he does not have to be too heavily involved in the first phase.
He might have been holding out for the lucrative pay packet on offer in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Nassr looks like his best option, with their overseas goalkeeper David Ospina injured and unregistered for the season. Al-Ittihad could be another option as Marcelo Grohe is not the best-known goalkeeper, though he has proved to be a reliable pair of hands over the years.
(C)GettyImagesHugo Lloris
De Gea is not the only veteran Premier League stopper who could yet jet off to Saudi Arabia either. Hugo Lloris has been usurped by Guglielmo Vicario as Tottenham's No.1 this season, with reporting that the Frenchman has turned down approaches from the likes of Nice and Lazio in the summer transfer window.
Spurs are begrudgingly expecting the 36-year-old to stick around until at least January now, but if he grows tired of playing second fiddle, several Saudi clubs might be interested in signing him.
Getty ImagesPaul Pogba
Pogba's return to Juventus has been a complete shambles, with a string of injuries restricting him to just six Serie A appearances last season. There appeared to be light at the end of the tunnel for the Frenchman recently, as he returned for his side's draw with Bologna – only for him to pick up a back problem against Empoli on Sunday.
All of these niggles must be tempting Juve to cut their losses and sanction a long-rumoured move to the Saudi Pro League. Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad are both interested, in what would be another decent PR move for the competition, though whether Pogba would have much of an impact on the pitch is another matter.