It's Quiet 18 - Wanna ring the bell?

Gabriel said:
I reckon Paqueta, if charges dropped, and Eze will know that they are firmly on our radar for next year.

If this summer has told us and European football anything, it’s that you cannot afford to get caught napping in terms of outgoings. The money offered in Saudi means nobody now can be assumed to be beyond leaving, and that is both worrying but also reassuring, because it means we can at least plan for the unexpected.
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Very true. We knew there were question marks around Dog's future, but Mahrez leaving came out of the blue, such was the Saudi effect.

I think we'll be drawing up a list of players likely to be tempted by RSA football, & those with too much to lose to want the move.
 
Dribble said:
Very true. We knew there were question marks around Dog's future, but Mahrez leaving came out of the blue, such was the Saudi effect.

I think we'll be drawing up a list of players likely to be tempted by RSA football, & those with too much to lose to want the move.
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The more players who head out there and the more they tell others in Europe about the riches to be made and the lifestyle to be enjoyed, the more appealing it will become, even for those we might dismiss as uninterested. For that reason, I would expect us to plan for all possibilities.
 
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Is it possible for UEFA to force the transfer windows in Europe and SA to end at the same time? Seems to me that the main problem is they have 2 weeks longer than we have. We cannot prevent players to follow the money down there, but we should ensure there is time to bring in replacements. Anyone got a clue?
 
Jazzman said:
Is it possible for UEFA to force the transfer windows in Europe and SA to end at the same time? Seems to me that the main problem is they have 2 weeks longer than we have. We cannot prevent players to follow the money down there, but we should ensure there is time to bring in replacements. Anyone got a clue?
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It would be FIFA surely who would have to press for it? Unless UEFA do invite them into UEFA competitions in which case that may be a bargaining tool.
 
Gabriel said:
The more players who head out there and the more they tell others in Europe about the riches to be made and the lifestyle to be enjoyed, the more appealing it will become, even for those we might dismiss as uninterested. For that reason, I would expect us to plan for all possibilities.
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Agree on this. The worrying thing is UEFA president arrogantly dismissing Saudi as not a threat (comparing it to Chinese Super League when that started) big difference here is the Saudis have bottomless pockets to tempt players with wages to compete with NBA stars!!
 
eastlands oasis said:
Agree on this. The worrying thing is UEFA president arrogantly dismissing Saudi as not a threat (comparing it to Chinese Super League when that started) big difference here is the Saudis have bottomless pockets to tempt players with wages to compete with NBA stars!!
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Indeed. It would be folly to think that we are somehow impervious to its development and that only those players whose best years lie behind them will go. Similarly, the argument that the gated community lifestyle of Saudi Arabia would be a deterrent is a little disingenuous, as many of the top players in England already exist in a cocoon; a main difference is that in England you have to put the windscreen wipers on before you run to the car, whereas in Saudi Arabia it is the air conditioning! A large offer will inevitably come for one of our top players, and while we would like to think that most of them are still young and hungry enough not to be tempted, someone will be.
 
eastlands oasis said:
The Saudis have bottomless pockets to tempt players with wages to compete with NBA stars!!
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They don't. The Saudi's are desperate because their oil revenue is drying up.

Prices of crude have been so low, they've been losing money between 2015 - 2022, & their saving grace was Putin's war in Ukraine massively inflating oil revenues.

They have Agenda 2030 whereby they're desperate to complete several massive infrastructure projects whilst they still have the revenue rolling in. After this, Saudi will be floating on a precious resource, with fewer & fewer takers because of the global shift to renewable energy.

They need to diversify into other areas of business & a big part of this is attracting Western investment & expertise. HOWEVER, that's easier said than done in a country governed by Sharia Law, which routinely airs public beheadings, & where alcohol, pork, nicotine & living with an unmarried partner are illegal.

Attracting major sports stars as a distraction to their population, & the ensuing softening of their restrictive laws to enable this transformation, is proving problematic because of the push back from Conservative Clerics.

Mohammad Bin Salman has been utterly ruthless in defence of his modernisation programme. Ronaldo isn't married to his long-term partner, but this has been overlooked as the Saudi's look to attract the biggest stars in world football.

Quite what happens when economic reality kicks in after 2030, remains to be seen. For now, Saudi Arabia presents a clear & present danger in terms of attracting the world's biggest football stars, irrespective of what the PL & UEFA would have you believe. )(
 
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